The Strategy Analytics forecast, "Handset Data Traffic (2001-2017)," predicts strong growth in data traffic to mobile phones for the coming 5 years. This presents network challenges for carriers to ensure end user satisfaction with data-hungry smartphones.
David MacQueen, Executive Director, Apps and Media at Strategy Analytics, noted, "Data traffic has been almost doubling annually as smartphone penetration has increased and attractive, compelling media services have launched. As developed markets mature we expect a slowdown in traffic growth to a 32 percent compound annual growth rate from 2012 onward, but this nonetheless sees carriers forced to find novel ways to handle huge volumes of traffic which will rise from 5 exabytes of data per year to over 21 exabytes per annum by 2017."
Susan Welsh de Grimaldo, Director of the Wireless Networks and Platforms service at Strategy Analytics, says, "More and more mobile carriers are concerned about cost effective delivery of a good mobile video experience on smartphones over 3G, 4G and WiFi. More critically, carriers are asking how to monetize this growth in video traffic to profit from major investments made in LTE and other network upgrades."