Dependency on 4K, social media and mobile videos will be the main drivers according to the research
The total amount of 4G data used to stream mobile video has been forecasted to increase from 4,500 petabytes at the end of this year to 150,000 petabytes by 2020, the equivalent of 150 million terabytes.
This is according to the latest joint research from Huawei and Ovum titled ‘The Evolution of Big Video – Examining telco transformation video opportunities.’ The research predicted that mobile video will make up 75 per cent (150,000 petabytes) of all 4G data usage (190,00 petabytes) by 2020. This is up from 15 per cent (4,500 petabytes of a total 30,000 petabytes of 4G data) predicted by the end of this year.
Both companies claimed the main factors driving the increase will be a growing dependency on 4K ultraHD, social media and mobile videos. The research added that businesses using mobile video for employee training, customer service and meetings will also be a major contributor.
However, the study outlined various methods operators must consider if they are to fully benefit from the rising growth of 4G video streaming. These include;
Despite Ovum and Huawei’s ambitious predictions, a study by Which? found that 4G coverage in the UK isn’t as reliable as the operators were hoping. It tested how often subscribers of all four networks could access 4G throughout April.
Three was found to be the worst network of all four, with 39.8 per cent of subscribers only being able to access 4G in a monthly period. EE came first (60.6 per cent) followed by Vodafone (57 per cent) and O2 (56 per cent).
