Cisco’s VNI Shines Light on Mobile Offload
Mobile offloading is on the rise. According to the latest Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI), 46% of data traffic was offloaded from mobile networks in 2014, and Cisco is betting that number will grow to 54% by 2019. (See Cisco’s Visual Networking Index.)
The statistics are fascinating, but they also deserve a little closer examination. When Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) defines mobile offloading in the VNI report, the company is referring to traffic that is shifted from a traditional cellular network to either a WiFi network or a small cell access point beyond the regular cellular network. As things stand today, WiFi is taking the lion’s share of offloaded traffic. However, small cells and alternative 4G connections may have a greater role to play in the future.