IoT to Represent More Than Half of Connected Device Landscape by 2021

The total number of devices connected to IP networks is projected to be three times the global population by 2021. Internet of things (IoT) technologies specifically are expected to represent more than half of the total 27.1 billion devices and connections.

The infographic represents data for North America, where there will be an estimated 12.9 networked devices and connections per person. Image: Cisco.

That analysis comes from Cisco’s recent Visual Networking Index for the 2016-2021 forecast period. Wireless and mobile devices will make up 63 percent of total IP traffic by 2021 — up from 51 percent in 2016. ”TVs, tablets, smartphones and machine-to- machine (M2M) modules will have traffic growth rates of 21 percent, 29 percent, 49 percent and 49 percent, respectively,” according to the report. Connected home, connected healthcare, smart cars and other M2M services will play a key role in this growth. Notably, traffic from smartphones will outpace PC traffic by 2021. PCs in 2016 accounted for 46 percent of total IP traffic, but they will only make up 25 percent of traffic by the end of the forecast period.

The company also found that internet traffic during the “busy hour,” or the busiest one-hour period in a day, is outpacing average internet traffic. Busy hour traffic will increase 51 percent in 2021 compared to 32 percent in 2016. To compensate, broadband speeds are expected to double (from 27.5 mbps to 53 mbps) by 2021.

Other key takeaways include:

  • IP video traffic will increase from 73 percent of all internet consumer traffic in 2016 to 82 percent in 2021 (with live streaming accounting for 13 percent);
  • Virtual and augmented reality traffic is expected to increase 20-fold during the forecast period at a compound annual growth rate of 82 percent; and
  • Internet video surveillance traffic is anticipated to grow during the forecast period, comprising 3.4 percent of all internet traffic.

To learn more, view the full report.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • handshake between two individuals with AI icons (brain, chip, network, robot) in the background

    Microsoft, Amazon Announce New Commitments in Support of Presidential AI Challenge

    At the Sept. 4 meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education, Microsoft and Amazon announced new commitments to expanding AI education and skills training.

  • digital learning resources including a document, video tutorial, quiz checklist, pie chart, and AI cloud icon

    Quizizz Rebrands as Wayground, Announces New AI Features

    Learning platform Quizizz has become Wayground, in a rebranding meant to reflect "the platform's evolution from a quiz tool into a more versatile supplemental learning platform that's supported by AI," according to a news announcement.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.