New Delhi, 4 June: The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast (2012-2017) projects India IP traffic to grow six-fold from 2012-2017 with a 44% CAGR, which is the highest growth rate across the globe.

The global Internet protocol (IP) traffic will grow three-fold between 2012 and 2017. India IP traffic (Fixed and Mobile) is expected to reach an annual run rate of 33.5 exabytes in 2017 which is equivalent to 8 billion DVDs per year! On a monthly basis, India IP traffic is expected to reach nearly 2.8 exabytes per month by 2017, up from about 454 petabytes per month in 2012. (Indian IP traffic will be equivalent to 8 billion DVDs per year, 698 million DVDs per month, or 956,488 DVDs per hour!)

The report released in Delhi today at a press meet said the global Internet protocol (IP) traffic will grow three-fold between 2012 and 2017. Global IP traffic (fixed and mobile) is expected to reach an annual run rate of 1.4 zettabytes ? more than a trillion gigabytes per year ? by 2017. This updated study includes global fixed IP traffic growth and service adoption trends, complementing the VNI Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast released earlier this year.

In India, the average Internet household will generate 35.9 gigabytes of Internet traffic per month in 2017, up 279% from 9.5 gigabytes per month in 2012, a CAGR of 31%.

The average Internet household (globally) will generate 74.5 gigabytes per month. By comparison, in 2012, the average Internet household generated 31.6 gigabytes of traffic per month, globally.

Dr Robert Pepper, Cisco Vice President, Global Technology Policy, said: "In today?s world, connectivity is imperative for a country?s economic growth and social development. The good news is, Internet traffic growth in India, is the fastest globally. While there is great willingness from the government and industry to drive broadband penetration and ensure internet access, there is a lot more that needs to be done. As people, devices and data get connected, the possibilities it opens up are immense."

By 2017, there will be about 3.6 billion Internet users?more than 48% of the world?s projected population (7.6 billion).In India, there will be 348 million total Internet users in 2017, up from 138 million in 2012.In 2012, there were 2.3 billion Internet users-about 32% of the world?s population (7.2 billion).

By 2017, there will be more than 19 billion global network connections (fixed/mobile personal devices, M2M connections, et al.), up from about 12 billion connections in 2012. In India, there will be 2 billion networked devices by 2017 up from 1 billion in 2012 .

Globally, the average fixed broadband speed will increase 3.5-fold from 2012 ? 2017, from 11.3 Mbps to 39 Mbps.In India, the average broadband speed will grow 3.5-fold from 2012 to 2017, to reach 7 Mbps from 1.9 Mbps in 2012. Globally, the average fixed broadband speed grew 30% from 2011 ? 2012, from 8.7 Mbps to 11.3 Mbps.

Global network users will generate 3 trillion Internet video minutes per month, that is 6 million years of video per month, or 1.2 million video minutes every second or more than two years? worth of video every second.Globally, there will be nearly 2 billion Internet video users (excluding mobile-only) by 2017, up from 1 billion Internet video users in 2012.

In India, there will be 113 million Internet video users (excluding mobile-only) in 2017, up from 16 million in 2012.

In 2012, in India, non-PC accounted for 10% of the IP traffic, but by 2017 the Non-PC share will grow to 53%. Portable devices, such as smartphones and tablets will contribute 40% to IP traffic in 2017 up from 3% in 2012; TVs will contribute 10%, while machine-to-machine (M2M) modules will contribute 3% of the entire IP traffic in 2017.

As global service providers build out the Next Generation Internet, nearly half of the world?s population will have network and Internet access by 2017.

The Forecast also reveals that the "Internet of Things" (the networked connection of physical objects) is showing tangible growth and will have a measurable impact on global IP networks. Applications such as video surveillance, smart meters, asset/package tracking, chipped pets/livestock, digital health monitors and a host of other next-generation M2M services are driving this growth.

Summary of Key Takeaways from the VNI Forecast

Global IP Traffic Projections and Analysis

? By 2017, annual global IP traffic will reach 1.4 zettabytes (23% CAGR from 2012 to 2017). ? A zettabyte is equal to a sextillion bytes.

? In India, by 2017, annual global IP traffic will reach 33.5 exabytes (44% CAGR from 2012 to 2017).

? By 2017, more traffic will traverse global networks than all prior "Internet years" combined:

1984 ? 2012: 1.2 zettabytes

2017 Forecast: 1.4 zettabytes

? "Busy hour" Internet traffic, (or hours of the day hour of day during which traffic is highest), is increasing faster than average Internet traffic. Busy hour Internet traffic increased 41% in 2012, compared to 34% growth in average traffic.

? In India, busy hour Internet traffic will reach 23 Tbps in 2017, the equivalent of 19,540,000 people streaming Internet HD video simultaneously.

? Metro traffic will surpass long-haul traffic in 2014, and will account for 58% of total IP traffic by 2017. Metro traffic will grow nearly twice as fast as long-haul traffic from 2012 to 2017.

? Content delivery networks (CDNs) will carry over half of total Internet traffic by 2017.

? Wi-Fi and mobile-connected devices will generate 68% of Internet traffic by 2017.

? Nearly half of total IP traffic will originate with non-PC devices (including tablets, smartphones, and televisions) by 2017.

Standout IP Networking Trends

? Fixed/Wi-Fi traffic will grow at a CAGR of 26% between 2012 and 2017, compared to a 16% CAGR for fixed/wired traffic

? In India, Fixed/Wi-Fi traffic will be 40% of total IP traffic in 2017, up from 38% in 2012

? Globally, the average household had 4.7 devices / connections (including M2M) in 2012; the average household will have 7.1 devices / connections (including M2M) by 2017 (an 8.8% CAGR).

? Globally, there will be 8 billion IPv6-capable fixed & mobile devices/connections in 2017, up from 1.6 billion in 2012 (38% CAGR).

? Globally, 42% of all fixed & mobile networked devices/connections will be IPv6-capable in 2017, up from 14% in 2012.

Regional & Country IP Traffic Projections

? Asia-Pacific (APAC) will generate the most IP traffic by 2017 (43.4 exabytes/month), maintaining its leadership from last year.

? The Middle East and Africa will continue to be the fastest growing IP traffic region from 2012 ? 2017 (5-fold growth, 38% CAGR over the forecast period); MEA was the fastest growing region last year as well (10-fold growth, 57% CAGR for the 2011 ? 2016 forecast period) in this category.

? By 2017, the highest traffic-generating countries will be the United States (37 exabytes per month) and China (18 exabytes per month).

? For fastest growing IP traffic at the country-level, India will have the highest IP traffic growth rate with a 44% CAGR from 2012 ? 2017. Second is Indonesia (42% CAGR) and third is South Africa (31% CAGR) over the forecast period.

Regional IP Traffic Growth Breakouts

? APAC: 43.4 exabytes/month by 2017, 26% CAGR, 3-fold growth

? North America: 40.7 exabytes/month by 2017, 26% CAGR, 3-fold growth

? Western Europe: 24.3 exabytes/month 2017, 17% CAGR, 2-fold growth

? Central Europe: 8.8 exabytes/month by 2017, 21% CAGR, 3-fold growth

? Latin America: 7.4 exabytes/month by 2017, 17% CAGR, 2-fold growth

? Middle East and Africa: 3.5 exabytes/month by 2017, 38% CAGR, 5-fold growth

Key Consumer and Business Forecast Projections:

Global Consumer Internet Video Consumption

? Globally, there will be nearly 2 billion Internet video users (excluding mobile-only) by 2017, up from 1 billion Internet video users in 2012.

? Internet video-to-TV traffic will increase nearly 5-fold between 2012 (1.3 exabytes per month) and 2017 (6.5 exabytes per month).

HD and 3D Internet Video Traffic

? By 2017, 3D and HD Internet video will comprise 63% of consumer Internet video traffic.

? Advanced consumer Internet video (3D and HD) will increase 4-fold between 2012 and 2017.

Global Consumer VoD Traffic

? VoD traffic will increase 3-fold between 2012 and 2017.

Global Consumer Internet File Sharing Traffic

? Peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic will decline at a CAGR of -9%, while web-based and other file sharing traffic will grow at CAGR of 17% from 2012 ? 2017.

? By 2017, global P2P traffic will be 65% of global consumer Internet file sharing traffic, down from 85% in 2012.

Global Business IP Traffic

? Overall business IP traffic, which includes Internet, backup, VoIP, etc., will nearly triple between 2012 and 2017.

? In 2012, business IP traffic represented 20% of monthly total global IP traffic (consumer IP traffic represented 80% of monthly total global IP traffic).

? By 2017, business IP traffic will represent 18% of monthly total global IP traffic (consumer IP traffic will represent 82% of monthly total global IP traffic).

Global Business Internet Video Traffic

? Business Internet video traffic will from 5.3-fold from 2012 to 2017

? Business Internet video traffic grew 52% in 2012.

? Video will account for 58% of all business Internet traffic in 2017, up from 31% in 2012.

VNI Service Adoption Highlights

Also available today, and paired with the VNI research results, is Cisco?s complementary study ?the Cisco VNI Service Adoption Forecast, which includes global and regional residential, consumer mobile, and business services growth rates.

Topline

? Globally, the population was 7,160 million in 2012 and will reach 7,563 million by 2017 (1.1% CAGR).

? Globally, there were 1,996 million households in 2012; there will be 2,167 million households by 2017 (1.7% CAGR).

Residential

? Globally, there were 1,832 million residential Internet users with fixed Internet access in 2012; there will be 2,459 million residential Internet users with fixed Internet access by 2017 (6.1% CAGR).

? Globally, there were 1,598 million TV households in 2012; there will be 1,744 million TV households by 2017 (1.8% CAGR).

Consumer Mobile

? Globally, there were 3,789 million mobile consumers in 2012; there will be 4,635 million mobile consumers by 2017 (4.1% CAGR).

Business

? Globally, there were 1,408 million business Internet users in 2012; there will be 1,965 million business Internet users by 2017 (6.9% CAGR).

? Globally, there were 495 million business mobile users in 2012; there will be 565 million business mobile users by 2017 (2.7% CAGR)