IP traffic to reach 0.5 trillion by 2012

19/06/2008

An internet prediction company has suggested that online internet protocol (IP) traffic could reach half a trillion gigabytes by 2012.

The research by the Cisco Visual Networking Index Forecast shows that traffic is set to grow by 46 per cent each year between 2007 and 2012.

The results are largely based around the increased use of Web 2.0, social networking and video collaboration apps.

Video traffic is expected to reach 400 times the level carried by the 'US internet backbone' in 2000.

The report suggested that: "Increased broadband penetration in the small business segment and the increased adoption of advanced video communications ... in the enterprise are major drivers for business IP traffic growth."

It also added traffic was likely to show most growth in the developing Asia-Pacific region.

With this massive increase in traffic, advertisers will be looking to get in early to establish themselves in a burgeoning market.