Did you know that annual global IP traffic will surpass the zettabyte threshold by the end of 2016? And global IP networks will deliver 12.5 petabytes every 5 minutes in 2016? Today, the demand for more bandwidth has skyrocketed, which has posed a challenge for service providers trying to deliver TV Everywhere (TVE) services to their subscribers. So, what’s to blame for the increasing demand for more bandwidth?Recently, Connect – a provider of cloud computing and CDN – released an infographic titled “Keeping up with Bandwidth Demand?” exploring just how much bandwidth needs are expected to increase over the coming years and what’s to blame for this exponential growth.

Not surprisingly, video content and mobile data traffic are to blame. According to the aforementioned infographic, it would take over six million years to watch the amount of video that will cross global IP networks each month in 2016. Other key statistics include:

• Internet video to TV doubled in 2011 and will continue to grow at a rapid pace, increasing six-fold by 2016.
• Video-on-demand traffic will triple by 2016, while the amount of VOD traffic in 2016 will be equivalent to four billion DVDs per month.
• By 2016, high-definition Internet video will comprise 79 percent of VOD.
• Mobile data traffic will grow at a CAGR of 78 percent between 2011 and 2016, reaching 10.8 exabytes per month by 2016.
• Global mobile data traffic will be 10 percent of totally IP traffic in 2016.

With bandwidth demand skyrocketing, how can service providers overcome this hurdle? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

To view the full infographic, click here.