(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/AndreyPopov)
Video is expanding fast. Facebook predicts that by 2021 video will account for roughly 70% of mobile traffic, a notable increase from about 50% today, according to the most recent Ericsson Mobility Report.
A quick look at a typical Facebook feed shows why: shared videos increasingly dominate what people see and engage with. As users spend more time on the platform, the volume and importance of video content naturally rise, driving a shift in how people consume and share media on mobile devices.
Beyond traditional pre-recorded clips, live streaming is becoming a major social activity. People stream to share experiences, play and watch games, and communicate in real time. This trend is visible across platforms but is particularly notable on Facebook Live, which has experienced rapid adoption.
Launched earlier this year, Facebook Live has grown approximately fourfold, according to Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. That surge in live broadcasting is one reason Facebook is positioning itself as a “video-first” company.
At the Wall Street Journal’s WSJD conference, Facebook’s chief product officer Chris Cox demonstrated new mobile features designed to enhance live video. One example is real-time artistic filters—similar in concept to Prisma—that transform live streams to mimic the styles of renowned artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Claude Monet.
“This will take the technology to the next level,” Cox said, underscoring Facebook’s focus on richer, more creative live-video experiences.
These developments promise exciting new ways to create and consume content, but they also present infrastructure challenges. Ensuring mobile networks can support higher volumes of video traffic, particularly real-time, high-quality streams and filter-enhanced broadcasts, will be essential. Network operators and technology providers need to prepare now to avoid bottlenecks and preserve a smooth user experience as video usage climbs.
Are you surprised by the predicted rise of video traffic on mobile networks? Let us know in the comments.