Mobile data bandwidth usage increased by 68% during the first half of 2010, with video streaming applications constitute 35% of the global mobile bandwidth usage, according to a report by Allot Communications.
The Allot Mobile Trends report revealed that the increase in the usage of social networking sites like YouTube has led the growth of video streaming application, which is now the single largest growing application with a growth rate of 92%.
The report said that the bandwidth of Twitter and Facebook increased by 310% and 200%, respectively.
In addition, VoIP and IM applications which became popular as an alternative to traditional voice and messaging services is the second fastest growing traffic-type with a growth rate of 84%, with Skype leading the VoIP market, accounting 83% of mobile VoIP bandwidth.
Further, P2P and HTTP downloads together represent a 31% of mobile bandwidth, with an aggregate growth rate of 80%, the report said.
Allot Communications president and CEO Rami Hadar said that the findings demonstrate the close ties between mobile broadband and social networking.
"Whether it’s YouTube, Twitter or Facebook, social networking via mobile devices is becoming a ‘must have’ for subscribers and we expect that this is just the beginning," Hadar said.
