Half the world's population to have internet access by 2017

Half the world's population to have internet access by 2017

According to a new survey, almost 50 per cent of the world's population will have access to the internet by 2017.

The 2012-2017 Visual Networking Index report, which was compiled by networking and communications equipment supplier Cisco, found that 48 per cent of the global population will have access within the next four years.

The number of people estimated to be making use of the internet last year was 2.3 billion, representing 32 per cent of the world's population of 7.6 billion. By 2017, 3.6 billion people are tipped to be making use of the online resource.

Alongside a major rise in the number of those using the internet, the amount of Internet Protocol (IP) traffic worldwide is also expected to rise at a rapid pace. Global IP traffic – which includes fixed line and wireless – could well reach 1.4 zillion bytes by the time 2017 rolls around, representing a three-fold increase from the figure reported last year.

Another increase is expected to happen relating to broadband speed. The average speed looks likely to reach 39 Mbps in 2017, which is three times quicker than the 11.3 Mbps reported in 2012, the Cisco report found.

Doug Webster, vice president of product and solutions marketing, Cisco, said: "Cisco's VNI Forecast once again showcases the seemingly insatiable demand for bandwidth around the globe and provides insights on the architectural considerations necessary to deliver on the ever-increasing experiences being delivered. With more and more people, things, processes and data being connected in the Internet of Everything, the intelligent network and the service providers who operate them are more relevant than ever".

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