Cisco Predicts Wireless Data Explosion

cnet: In its Global Mobile Data Forecast 2009 to 2014, network equipment manufacturer Cisco says that it expects worldwide mobile data traffic to exceed 3.6 exabytes per month, (40 exabytes per year) by the end of 2014. Cnet notes, "By comparison that is about the equivalent of 133 times all the data that has ever been transmitted across a mobile network since networks first were launched in the 1980s until today."

If traffic really increases that fast, it would mark a 39-fold increase from last year's numbers. "The rapid consumer adoption of smart phones, Netbooks, e-readers and Web-ready video cameras, as well as machine-to-machine applications like e-health monitoring and asset tracking systems, are continuing to place unprecedented demands on mobile networks," said Cisco's Doug Webster.