Sandvine: Over 70% of North American traffic is now streaming video and audio

WATERLOO, ON, Dec. 7, 2015 /CNW/ - Sandvine, (TSX:SVC) a leading provider of intelligent broadband network solutions for fixed and mobile operators, today released its latest Global Internet Phenomena Report focusing on Africa, the Middle East, and North America.  The report is based on data from a selection of Sandvine's 250-plus communications service provider (CSP) customers.

Sandvine's Global Internet Phenomena Report: Africa, Middle East, and North America contains findings from both fixed and mobile networks, the highlights of which include:

• Real-Time Entertainment (streaming video and audio) traffic now accounts for over 70% of North American downstream traffic in the peak evening hours on fixed access networks. Five years ago it accounted for less than 35%
• Netflix (37.1%), YouTube (17.9%), and Amazon Video (3.1%), the top three sources of video traffic on fixed access networks in North America, all saw an increase in traffic share over the levels observed earlier in the year
• With the growth of video, BitTorrent share continues to see a decline in fixed access bandwidth share, and now accounts for only 5% of total traffic in North America. Last year during the same period it accounted for over 7%
• On mobile networks in the Middle East, Instagram is responsible for over 10% of total traffic. Combining Instagram with traffic from WhatsApp and Facebook, reveals that Facebook controls almost 25% of mobile traffic in the region
• WhatsApp, driven by the recent addition of voice calling, now accounts for more than 10% of downstream mobile traffic in Africa
• The release of Windows 10 in July did not break the Internet as some predicted. Microsoft's decision to deploy the update in waves, during off-peak hours resulted in the release having minimal impact on networks around the globe

"Streaming Video has grown at such a rapid pace in North America that the leading service in 2015, Netflix, now has a greater share of traffic than all of streaming audio and video did five years ago," said Dave Caputo, CEO, Sandvine. "With Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video, and Hulu increasing their share since our last report, it further underscores both the growing role these streaming services play in the lives of subscribers, and the need for service providers to have solutions to help deliver a quality experience when using them."

Check out Sandvine's Internet Phenomena blog on a regular basis for the latest trends, predictions and phenomena impacting Internet usage around the world.

GLOBAL INTERNET PHENOMENA REPORT METHODOLOGY
Sandvine's Global Internet Phenomena Reports are based on a representative cross-section of Sandvine's data from a selection of Sandvine's 250-plus customers spanning North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Caribbean and Latin Americ,a and Asia-Pacific.  Data is gathered over a one-month period and is completely subscriber-anonymous.  No identifiable information of any kind, including IP addresses are collected during the study.  Sandvine's network equipment analyzes data from an application utilization level and is not content aware.

ABOUT SANDVINE
Sandvine's network policy control solutions add intelligence to fixed, mobile and converged communications service provider networks to enable services that can increase revenue and reduce network costs. Powered by Sandvine's Policy Engine and SandScript policy language, Sandvine's networking equipment performs end-to-end policy control functions including traffic classification, and policy decision and enforcement across the data, control and business planes.  Sandvine's products provide actionable business insight, the ability to deploy new subscriber services and tools to optimize traffic while enhancing subscriber Internet quality of experience.

Sandvine's network policy control solutions are deployed in more than 250 networks in over 90 countries, serving hundreds of millions of data subscribers worldwide, www.sandvine.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this release which are not historical facts constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") and are made pursuant to the "safe harbour" provisions of such laws. Statements related to the scope of deployment of Sandvine's products by a specific customer, the potential revenue opportunity with any particular customer or in any market segment, the benefits of Sandvine's products and services to be realized by customers, Sandvine's market position, future opportunities, product development plans and demand for Sandvine's products and services are forward looking statements, as are any statements relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve both known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Sandvine to differ materially from the results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, changes in internal deployment strategies or plans by specific customers; the growth of broadband internet usage and levels of capital spending on broadband network management systems; the timing of orders and manufacturing lead times; changes in customer order patterns or customer mix; insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; increased competition in the broadband network equipment industry; dependence on the timely development and market acceptance of new product offerings and standards; rapid technological and market change; manufacturing and sourcing risks including dependence on key suppliers and key technologies; dependence upon indirect channel sales and resellers; factors such as business and economic conditions and growth trends in the broadband network equipment industry and in various geographic regions; global economic conditions and uncertainties in the geopolitical environment including the impact of regulation related to the internet and the delivery of internet services. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions, and Sandvine does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change, except to the extent required by applicable law.

SOURCE Sandvine

INVESTOR CONTACT: Rick Wadsworth, Sandvine, [phone] ext. 3503, [email protected]; MEDIA CONTACT: Dan Deeth, Sandvine, [phone], [email protected]