Fourth Wave Facts

Did you know that...?

  • Mobile data traffic will approximately double each year from 2008 through 2012.
  • The key drivers will be video and Web 2.0 social networking and collaboration applications.
  • In 2012, internet video traffic will be 400 times the total traffic carried by the U.S. internet backbone in 2000.
  • At that time, video on demand, IPTV, peer-to-peer video, and internet video will account for nearly 90% of all consumer IP traffic.
  • Global IP traffic will reach 44 billion gigabytes per month in 2012, up from seven billion per month in 2007 and five billion for all of 2002.
  • From 2011 to 2012, monthly growth in global IP traffic will exceed its total growth from 2000 to 2008.
  • Worldwide mobile internet users will increase from 577 million in 2008 to 1.7 billion in 2013.

Sources: Cisco Systems Visual Networking Index Forecast for 2007-2012; Juniper Research

  • World population = 6.7 billion
  • Mobile service subscriptions = 3.3 billion
  • First billion in 20 years
  • Second billion in four years
  • Third billion in two years
  • 68% of subscriptions in developing countries (2006)
  • 80% of world population with access to wireless network coverage
    –  90% by 2010

Sources: International Telecommunications Union (ITU); Wireless Intelligence

  • Internet users worldwide = 1.5 billion
    –  PC/laptop = 70%
    –  Mobile device = 30%
  • PCs = 1 billion
  • Fixed landline phones = 1.3 billion
  • TV sets = 1.5 billion
  • Credit card users = 1.4 billion
  • Automobiles = 850 million

Sources: Forrester Research; Morgan Stanley Research; Tomi Ahonen Consulting

Mobile Service Subscriptions by Geography

  • 600 million in China = 50% penetration
  • 440 million in Western Europe = 110%
  • 375 million in Latin America = 66%
  • 300 million in Africa = 30%
  • 290 million in India = 26%
    –  500 million by 2010
  • 260 million in U.S. = 85%
    –  50% of children under 18

Sources: Morgan Stanley Research; Wikipedia

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