By 2020, 70% of the world's population will use mobile devices
In South Korea, 90% of the total population were mobile users in 2020.

Cisco Korea announced the 2015-2020 'Visual Networking Index (VNI)' global mobile data traffic forecast report, which analyzes global mobile trends.

In its report, Cisco projected that over the next five years, growth driven by the global adoption of mobile devices, increased mobile coverage, and demand for mobile content will be twice as fast as the growth of the world's population. In addition, mobile data traffic is expected to increase eightfold globally due to the surge in the use of mobile devices, smart devices, mobile video, and 4G networks.

Globally, the number of mobile users has increased fivefold since camera phones were first released in 2000, and by 2020, it will reach 5.5 billion, accounting for 70% of the world's population.

The number of mobile users in Korea in 2020 is projected to reach 46.1 million, accounting for 90% of the total population, and annual mobile data traffic is expected to reach 7.8 exabytes, increasing nearly fivefold over the next five years.


'Smartphones' account for the majority of mobile traffic
In Korea, 100% of mobile data traffic in 2020 was 'smart' traffic


Source: Cisco VNI Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast, 2015–2020

It was predicted that smart mobile devices and connections worldwide would account for 72% of total mobile connections in 2020, an increase from 36% in 2015. Also, by 2020
Globally, 98% of mobile data traffic is expected to be 'smart' traffic.

When looking at specific devices, the majority of mobile traffic worldwide is expected to come from smartphones, and in 2020, smartphones are projected to account for 81% of total mobile traffic, an increase from 76% in 2015. With the rapid spread of mobile phones, it is projected that 5.4 billion people worldwide will use mobile phones by 2020, a figure that surpasses the number of users of electricity (5.3 billion), water (3.5 billion), and automobiles (2.8 billion).

It was found that in Korea, 'smart' connections are projected to account for 100% of mobile connections excluding LPWA (Low-Power, Wide-Area) by 2020, an increase from 89% in 2015. Additionally, it is expected that 100% of mobile data traffic in Korea will fall under 'smart' traffic by 2020.

'Video' Still Dominates Among Mobile Applications

Among mobile applications worldwide, video usage via mobile is projected to record the highest growth rate. Furthermore, as the need for higher resolution, bandwidth, and speed increases among both individual and corporate users, the usage of 4G-connected devices is expected to rise, surpassing 2G in 2018 and 3G in 2020. It was stated that by 2020, 4G will account for over 70% of mobile traffic, with 4G connections generating approximately six times more traffic per month than non-4G connections.

Video usage in Korea in 2020 is also projected to account for 76% of total mobile data traffic, an increase from the 60% range in 2015, and mobile video traffic is expected to increase 6.3-fold. Regarding network types, 3G connections in Korea are expected to account for 22.1%, while 4G connections account for 72.2%.

"As billions of people and things are more actively connected than ever before, mobility has become a critical medium enabling the transition to global digitalization," said Doug Webster, Vice President of Service Provider Marketing at Cisco. "New innovations in the cellular sector, such as 5G and Wi-Fi solutions, will be needed to address new requirements, security concerns, and user needs, and the Internet of Things will visibly advance people, businesses, and society."