The number of smart devices globally will hit 7.802 billion by 2020, while global mobile data traffic will reach 30.6 Exabytes, or 30.6 billion gigabytes per month.
Traffic on mobile will also soar to 8.9 Exabytes per month, according to Cisco’s annual Visual Networking Index forecast.
In terms of data traffic, one important trend was the growth in mobile video, which will increase not only in volume but in its share of the total data traffic, from 55 percent in 2015 to 75 percent in 2020.
Cisco also predicted that the next five years would see IPv6 traffic finally take off, increasing from 13 percent of global mobile data traffic to 54 percent.
The Index also predicts that the 2020 world will have 11.6 billion mobile-ready devices and connections.
This includes 8.5 billion personal mobile devices and 3.1 billion M2M connections. This compares to 7.9 billion total mobile-ready devices and M2M connections in 2015.
The number of mobile devices and connections that are smart will increase rapidly, the report says, from 36 percent in 2015 to 67 percent in 2020.
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However, 30 percent of the world will still not have mobile devices by 2020, with 5.5 billion users as opposed to 4.8 billion today.
Specifically in the UK, there will be 70 million smartphones by 2020, compared to 51 million in 2015. It is predicted that there will be 3.1 mobile connections per person by 2020, almost double the 1.6 mobile connections per person in 2015.
Cisco‘s report also predicted a dramatic increase in wearable uptake in the UK, with 2015’s 2.3 million set to soar by a factor of eight. M2M modules, meanwhile, will increase by a factor of 5.5 from 20 million to 111 million.
Regina Moran, CEO in UK & Ireland at Fujitsu, advised businesses to take note of these trends.
"The growth in mobile devices also means an increase of devices in the workplace, which demonstrates the need for transformation in business," she said.
Moran said: "There is no doubt that by catering to this digital demand, businesses will improve efficiency, productivity and overall service – and therefore revenues. This rise in usage can only be expected to transcend into the workplace, and businesses need to be prepared.
"By providing their staff with the right tools and education, businesses can help transform the UK and the rest of the world into digital-first nations."
