In response to new information from TeleGeography’s Transport Networks Analysis Service, world bandwidth demand continues to climb.
However, as has been the story for the final a number of years, this development is coming at a slower and slower price. Here is what this says about long-haul networks in 2025.
Worldwide Bandwidth Demand Developments
Bandwidth demand development appeared unstoppable for a very long time. As not too long ago as 2020, year-on-year demand elevated 45%. Quick-forward to 2024, and that tempo is right down to 29%.
Worldwide Worldwide Bandwidth Progress
Regardless of the slowdown within the annual development price, our 2024 information represents a gentle 32% compound annual development price (CAGR). To not point out a tripling demand between 2020 and 2024, surpassing 6.4 Pbps. That is nonetheless lots.
On a regional stage, most components of the world have seen very comparable development at about 32-35% CAGR since 2020.
Because the chart under exhibits, Africa outpaces different areas with greater than 40% CAGR demand development, and the mature U.S. market falls barely under the common with about 29% development in bandwidth demand.
Used Worldwide Bandwidth Progress by Area
Supply: © 2025 TeleGeographyThe Evolving Function of Content material Suppliers
Content material and cloud suppliers—particularly a handful of corporations like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon—overwhelmingly account for many of the world’s worldwide bandwidth utilization.
As not too long ago as 2016, web spine suppliers accounted for almost all of demand. Not anymore. In 2024, content material and cloud networks accounted for nearly three-quarters of all bandwidth demand.
Whereas content material suppliers’ share of whole demand varies by route, it is changing into dominant nearly in all places. On the huge trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific, and intra-Asian routes, these networks account for not less than 80% of bandwidth demand.
Share of Used Bandwidth by Class for Main Routes
Notes: Knowledge exhibits used bandwidth as of year-end 2024. Supply: © 2025 TeleGeographyA couple of smaller routes, comparable to Europe-East Asia and Europe-Sub-Saharan Africa, are nonetheless pushed by web spine demand, however the dynamic is shifting even in these areas.
That is illustrated under. This chart exhibits us that content material supplier demand development is outpacing different community sources on the entire route groupings we observe.
Contemplate Latin America, the place content material demand development is nearly double that of different sources. Throughout the subsequent yr, content material suppliers will account for the outright majority of demand on U.S.-Latin American routes.
Content material Suppliers vs. Others Bandwidth Progress by Area
Supply: © 2024 TeleGeography
As may be anticipated, content material supplier demand development is quickest in areas the place carriers are nonetheless dominant, like Africa, Latin America, and the Center East. However there is not any a part of the globe the place content material demand development is not outpacing that of web spine suppliers.
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