ABI Research expects in-building mobile data traffic will increase over 600 percent, reaching 53 exabytes (1 billion billion) per month worldwide in 2020. Rapid growth in 4G adoption and Wi-Fi offload will be the main factors fueling double-digit annual growth to the end of the decade, according to ABI’s ¨In-Building Mobile Data Traffic Forecast¨ report.
Furthermore, growth in mobile video traffic will exceed that for all other types of mobile data, ABI says. “Mobile network operators, neutral host providers, building, enterprise and venue owners can all leverage this growth in 4G and Wi-Fi traffic.
Indoor Mobile Forecast
“Video traffic volume outstrips all other traffic types and will grow tenfold between 2015 and 2020. The enterprise and commercial segments, sports venues, transportation and healthcare verticals continue to transport the most traffic, with shopping malls and hospitality coming in at a close second place,¨ ABI research director Nick Marshall was quoted in a news release.
The rapid growth of in-building mobile and Wi-Fi data has made Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) a necessity, ABI points out. Mobile equipment vendors stand to benefit as a result.
DAS spending continues to be greatest in North America, followed by Asia-Pacific and then Europe. In its report, ABI identifies Alcatel-Lucent, Cobham, Cisco, CommScope, Corning, Dali Wireless, Ericsson, JMA Wireless, Nokia Networks, Wireless Telecom Group and Zinwave as leading players.
North American mobile operators tend to spend 39 percent of capex on radio access networks – more than their peers in other world regions, ABI highlighted in a February, 2015 research report. Just over a quarter (26 percent) of capex went toward in-building wireless carrying capacity, which now handles 80 percent of the mobile traffic, ABI noted.
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