More users on more devices watching more video at faster download speeds will see global Internet traffic reach 1.6 zettabytes -- a trillion gigabytes -- by 2018, the Cisco Visual Networking Index says.
Video will represent 84 percent of IP traffic by then, up from a 65 percent level in 2013, the networking equipment firm says in its yearly forecast of traffic growth based on usage levels and speed of connections, data and gadgets.
Around 4 billion people, around half the world's population, will be present online by 2018, and for the first time the majority of online traffic will not be down to PCs but rather will come from portable and mobile devices, Cisco said.
Traffic from tablets will see an annual growth rate 74 percent while smartphone traffic will rise at 64 percent yearly, it said.
Broadband speeds will continue to increase, it predicted, with South Korea and Japan expected to hit 100 Mbps by 2018, with the global average reaching 42 Mbps. The average speed in 2013 was around 16 Mbps.
"Our first Cisco Visual Networking Index nine years ago established the zettabyte as a major milestone for global IP traffic," said Doug Webster, Cisco vice president of products and marketing
"The reality of the Internet of Everything (IoE), the increasing demand for network mobility, and the emergence of 4K video are among the key trends highlighted in this year's forecast that represent significant opportunities for service providers today and in the immediate future."
Cisco's report has been released as the Federal Communications Commission is in ongoing deliberations over legislation for Internet traffic, which could see the end of "net neutrality," replaced by a system that would allow Internet providers the right to prioritize some traffic over other streams.
Critics of the FCC proposals say it would unfairly created "fast lanes" for firms willing to pay providers for faster speeds while handicapping smaller companies.
However, traffic management may be necessary as devices connected to the Internet with varying traffic requirements, and machine-to-machine interconnections numbering in the billions, come online in the next 4 years, Cisco executives said.
"What we're seeing is a wide range and a very diverse range of devices, applications and requirements that results in a much greater complexity of the networks," vice president of global technology policy Robert Pepper said. "The Internet of everything is here, it's real, and it's growing."
Things like public safety apps and home medical and health monitoring, along with rapidly increasing video services, will require priority network access, while services like Web browsing and email could live with minor delays, Jeff Campbell, Cisco vice president for community and government relations, said.
"It's going to be more and more important to manage the traffic on the network in a way that does not treat all bits the same," he said. "Different bits do matter differently. We need to ensure that we have a system that allows this to occur."
