Even though 4G’s share of cellular subscriptions stood at 2.9% at the end of second-quarter 2013, it is expected to account for slightly more than 20% of the total data consumed on mobile networks worldwide in 2013. After surpassing 3G networks in 2016, 4G networks will go on to capture two-thirds of data traffic by 2018, according to market intelligence firm ABI Research.
4G data traffic will surge at a CAGR of 82.2% between 2013-2018. Underpinning this trend is the aggressive LTE network deployment by wireless operators and the expanding portfolio of smartphones and tablets which are also falling in price. “These two factors work hand in hand to enable consumers to stream videos,” commented Ying Kang Tan, research associate at ABI Research. “Already, Verizon saw video accounting for 50% of its network traffic earlier this year. ABI Research believes global annual video consumption will soar at a CAGR of 60.6% to exceed 100 Exabyte in 2018.”
Please read the full article on ABI Research.