Netflix and YouTube now account for more than 50% of downstream traffic

A report  by Sandvine finds that Netflix and YouTube account for 51% of all Internet traffic.  Netflix is responsible for 32% of downstream traffic while YouTube accounts for 19%.

The report also found that downstream traffic from file sharing services like BitTorrent and eDonkey is sharply down, below 10% for the first time. Could it be that legal video and audio streaming services are taking a bite out of piracy? The numbers certainly suggest that trend.

The report found:

  • Average monthly mobile usage in Asia-Pacific now exceeds 1 gigabyte, driven by video, which accounts for 50% of peak downstream traffic. This is more than double the 443 megabyte monthly average in North America.
  • In Europe, Netflix, less than two years since launch, now accounts for over 20% of downstream traffic on certain fixed networks in the British Isles. It took almost four years for Netflix to achieve 20% of data traffic in the United States.
  • Instagram and Dropbox are now top-ranked applications in mobile networks in many regions across the globe. Instagram, due to the recent addition of video, is now in Latin America the 7th top ranked downstream application on the mobile network, making it a prime candidate for inclusion in tiered data plans which are popular in the region.
  • Netflix (31.6%) holds its ground as the leading downstream application in North America and together with YouTube (18.6%) accounts for over 50% of downstream traffic on fixed networks.
  • P2P Filesharing now accounts for less than 10% of total daily traffic in North America. Five years ago it accounted for over 31%.
  • Video accounts for less than 6% of traffic in mobile networks in Africa, but is expected to grow faster than in any other region before it. Blackberry use in Africa? Blackberry email and BBM messaging accounts for over 13% of traffic across the continent.

Here’s a full report from  CNET news.