WIXLIB

The Mobile InternetGlobal Top MoversZoomGlobal Ranking 41( 10)Phenomena ReportMay 2021Microsoft TeamsGlobal Ranking 49( 20)Enterprises are relying heavily on applications that connect theirworkforces. Business-grade QoE is now critical to keep workersconnected and able to conduct business on the go. The surgein taking meetings while walking is driving a rise in the use ofbusiness communication applications on mobile networks.BoxGlobal Ranking 328 ( 82)DiscordGlobal Ranking 19 ( 42)Box, a content management andfile sharing service for large enterprisebusinesses, has shown notablegrowth over the last year. Asbusinesses move to the cloud,this is an application to watch.Discord has been growing explosivelywith over 14 million active daily users.By partnering with Fortnite and Twitch,Discord is shaping up to be a placewhere hanging out is easy and fun.TikTok Global Ranking 3 ( 7)Snapchat Global Ranking 36 ( 5)TikTok is now a giant compared to Snapchat. PREVIOUSSTARTNEXT Copyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.6

The Mobile InternetGlobal Video-First Economy in 2021What is a videofirst economy?Network operators need to understand thevideo-first economy to meet the needs ofconsumer and enterprises networks.As enterprises go digital, they are increasinglydelivering services over video rather than in-person.Remote workers are also using video as theirprimary way of communicating with customers,partners, and peers. Large companies such asMicrosoft are making work-from-home permanent.This will have a lasting effect on internet traffic.Phenomena ReportMay 2021Looking forward – what does thismean for the mobile network?WhatsApp Global Ranking 8Line Global Ranking 28Zoom Global Ranking 41MS Teams Global Ranking 49Skype Global Ranking 54Looking back at 2020 fixed networksThe Mobile Internet Phenomena COVID-19 Spotlight Report issued in May 2020 highlighted the videofirst economy phenomena. Upstream video traffic surged 135% while downstream traffic grew 68%.Overall Work-From-HomeApplication Traffic GrowthDownstream GrowthUpstream GrowthVirtual SchoolingGoogle Classroom Downstream Traffic204% growthGoogle Classroom Upstream Traffic161% growth68%135%Video Conferencingand TelemedicineOnline GamingTwitch Downstream Traffic178% growthTwitch Upstream Traffic238% growthVideo StreamingOverall Downstream Traffic 66% growthOverall Upstream Traffic 67% growthOverall Downstream Traffic 390% growthOverall Upstream Traffic 233% growthZoom Downstream Traffic 1940% growthZoom Upstream Traffic 1700% growthConnected video is keeping schools, healthcare,and businesses functioning by providing criticallinks among teachers, students, patients, andemployees alike.What applications define a video-first economy? Video conferencing Online learning, with connected video Remote work productivity tools, with enriched communicationRemote medical consultationsHow have mobile networks been affected bythe transition to work-from-home? Businessvideo conferencing, on-line learning, and remoteproductivity tools are becoming more prevalenton mobile networks. These applications requirea consistent upstream and downstream networkconnection.As these video-first economy applications becomemore popular on mobile networks, mobile operatorsneed to understand not just what applications aredominating, but also the experience consumershave with them. They also need to look to 5G FixedWireless Access as a significant opportunity to meethome network demands.As regions re-open their economies, some morningand evening commuting will resume as consumersreturning to their typical lifestyles. At the same time,several consumers will continue working and learningremotely on a more permanent basis. For this reason,business and learning applications will continue tograb a larger share of traffic on mobile networksthroughout the day. PREVIOUSSTARTNEXT Fixed network growth has beendominated by a video-first economywith massive growth over the firstpart of 2020. This represents asignificant opportunity for future 5Gfixed wireless acess networks.Copyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.7

The Mobile InternetGlobal Video SpotlightPhenomena ReportMay 2021Short-form video content at yourfingertips is dominating the internetVideo is now 48% of all traffic on mobilenetworks as short-form video grows inpopularity.The top three has a newcomer now that TikTokhas climbed the charts and joined YouTube andFacebook. TikTok has grown dramatically during2020, as people unleashed their creativity in theapplication. Many videos went viral, making headlinesworldwide. Now that video is almost 50% of all traffic,network operators need to keep a close eye on thelatest trends. As live sports and new entertainmentcontent make a come back, video QoE is top of mind,especially during evening peak hours.Hourly video trendson mobile networksVideo streaming has multiple peaks throughout theday, with the highest peak between 5-6pm.0YouTube trendson mobile networksYouTube follows a similar trend as video streamingoverall, with some key differences. Since itencompasses short-form and long-form content,peaks form at the start of the day and when the workand learning day is finished.GLOBAL VIDEO TRAFFIC %TikTok16.1%7.8%3Facebook %12Mobile12345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23YouTube012Mobile VideoVideo streaming aligns with the natural movementsof consumers throughout the day with peaksbefore work, mid-day, and especially during thelate afternoon commute. Mobile operators need tounderstand how these peaks are affecting video PREVIOUSSTARTNEXT performance to best optimize their networks forvideo content during peak usage. Without videostreaming optimization, users will experience lagsor buffer stalls.Optimizing applications in a mobile network iscritical, since every network is unique and thetrends vary by location.Copyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.8

The Mobile InternetGlobal Social SpotlightPhenomena ReportMay 2021Social applications are keeping usconnected more than ever beforeSocial usage overall has grown in 2021 andbecome more critical – with people looking tostay on-line more than ever during the stay-athome orders.Facebook continues to be the main way the worldkeeps connected. Social networks have fallen intoa demographic cycle where Facebook is catering toa more mature audience, Instagram appeals to themillennials, and Twitter is all the rage for Gen Z.Instagram, Facebook’s sibling, is #2 worldwide and isbecoming the marketing channel of choice for brandsgoing after younger audiences, who only want to seerelevant ads.Hourly socialtrends on mobileInternational social networks such as Odnoklassnikiand QQ, also dominate mobile networks and are inthe top five by traffic volume. This is a reminder thatlocal social networks have gained in popularity.Social usage peaks after 3pm – 5pm on a mobilenetwork as consumers switch to off mode and catchup with friends and family.012345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Mobile socialGLOBAL SOCIAL TRAFFIC klassniki1.9%0.4%5QQ0.7%0.3%Social application usage on a mobile network peaksfrom 3pm – 6pm as consumers move from a typicalwork or school day to catching up or chatting withfriends and family. Interestingly, in comparisonto fixed networks where consumers often leaveapplications running in the background, users willHourly socialtrends on fixedSTARTUnderstanding these trends is key to providinga high quality of experience to consumers. Withenriched video options, memes, and the ability tosend video, these applications require operatorsto be very aware of the services customers areinterested in using and design the network to meetthese needs.FixedIn a typical fixed network, social usage is fairlyconsistent throughout the day as people are workingfrom home, while keeping several of their socialapplications going in the background. PREVIOUSclose and only intermittently interact with their socialapplications which causes dynamic usage.NEXT 012345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Copyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.9

The Mobile InternetTikTok and SnapchatTikTok isn’t just another fleeting trend – it’s hereto stay. For those unfamiliar with the platform,TikTok is often referred to as “snapchat reboot.”The two platforms share similar features.However, TikTok’s offering centers on videosharing of short clips set to music, whileSnapchat is a photo and video messagingapplication where users can post ‘stories.’Celebrities have been using TikTok creatively as ameans to keep in touch with their fans and this hascaused a massive surge in users and applicationusage. TikTok beat records for app downloads, somuch so that in the first quarter of 2020 the platformgenerated the most downloads for any app ever ina quarter with more than 315 million installs globallyacross the App Store and Google Play.Phenomena ReportMay 2021Snapchat punches above its weight with “only” 348M monthly users. However, those that do use itare rabid consumers and creators of content, with theapp being used frequently for text, voice, and videomessages both to individuals as well as groups.TikTok12345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23TikTok has peaks on usage at 1pm, 5pm, and at 7pm – as people consume short-form video.Snapchat012345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Global Application Traffic Share Rank0135101520253035364045AugSeptOctSnapchat has peaks at 5pm, aligning to the younger demographic pattern that uses its services.NovDecTikTok PREVIOUSSTARTNEXT JanSnapchatCopyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.10

The Mobile InternetGlobal Messaging SpotlightPhenomena ReportMay 2021Hourly messagingtrends on mobileMessaging applications peak at 5pm on a mobilenetwork as consumers switch to “off” mode and startcatching up with friends and family. This is similar tosocial applications.Keeping us connected with enrichedcontent – memes, voice, and reactions.WhatsApp continues to be the leading mobilemessaging platform worldwide. It has replacedtext messaging for over 1.5B users a month andis strong in every region of the world. Snapchat,Facebook, Line, and Skype come next in popularityas consumers switch between messaging platformsto stay connected with the world.Messaging applications are a critical part of themobile experience. Memes, voice messages, andreactions are continuing to enrich messaging content.GLOBAL MESSAGING TRAFFIC 0%2Snapchat16.5%2.7%3Facebook 12345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Mobile messagingMessaging application usage peaks at 5pm asconsumers shift from a typical work or school dayto catching up and chatting with friends or family.These applications require constant connectivityZoom trendson mobilePeaks in Zoom on mobile networks also aligns withthe peak hours for meetings. These peaks in mobilenetworks could also be a result of a poor QoE onSTARTThe availability of video messaging and otherenriched options is driving consumers to use themobile network like never before.ZoomOn a typical mobile network, Zoom usage peaksmid-day as people take calls or join Zoom meetingswhile grabbing lunch or taking their daily walks. Theusage of zoom follows a typical workday with busyhour starting at 10am when the day gets underway,peaking at 3pm, and then again at 5pm as the workday ends. PREVIOUSand a high upstream quality of experience. In amobile network, as consumers move, hand-offsand congestion management are critical for thesetypes of sensitive applications.NEXT 012345678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23fixed networks during peak times resulting in usersswitching to mobile networks to have a betterconnection. Another zoom peak occurs between7pm and 8pm in the evening where it is used forsocial and family events.Copyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.11

The Mobile InternetA Day in the Life of a Mobile NetworkPhenomena ReportMay 2021Mobile network service intelligenceMobile networks that deliver a great experienceto their customers have the best customersatisfaction ratings, the least churn, and users areoften willing to pay a premium.How do mobile operators ensure a differentiated,high quality of experience in today’s ever changinglandscape of applications? Networks that deliver besteffort speeds and then advertise (without delivery) themaximum download speed is a scenario that is likelyto disappoint the user.Video: Video, especially short-form video likeYouTube, requires a good downstream throughputto generally deliver an acceptable experience. Keepthe buffers on the device full, and the user won’t seeany momentary network congestion or delay. Thisis particularly challenging to deal with during heavycongestion events. How can operators ensure that allsubscribers are happy with their video experience?Messaging: Messaging applications have createda rich user experience – with more VoIP, video, andchat possibilities than ever to keep in touch. Leadingthe consumer into the video-first economy, theseapplications are driving the upstream changes. Inparticular, these applications need connectivity andthroughput on the upstream to keep connected asevery packet delivered counts in making sure theconnection goes through.Sandvine Active Network Intelligence PortalMobile operators that understand services and howthey change over time will be able to deliver the bestservices to their customers. This understandingallows operators to: Know which applications matter to theirsubscribers and at what time of day Assure subscriber quality of experience Create and evolve innovative services that delighttheir subscribersSocial Sharing: Isn’t this just social networking?Actually no, because the big picture of socialnetworking includes much more than just Facebookand Instagram traffic now. All of those pictures andvideos are uploaded directly into a cloud (iCloud,Google Photo, Samsung Cloud, etc.), uploaded toone or many social networks, and then discussed(or shared again) over messaging networks. Theecosystem is no longer just browsing Facebook feedsand posting texts. It has become a rich upstreamtraffic mix that users are monetizing. As a result, usershave become more sensitive to bad QoE and they willchurn if their expectations are not met. PREVIOUSSTARTNEXT Copyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.12

The Mobile InternetA Day in the Life of a Mobile NetworkPhenomena ReportMay 2021Applications are the heart of the mobile networkThe best way to truly understand applicationquality of experience is to take a deep dive into anaverage day in a mobile network and understandthe evolution of services throughout the day.Mobile Network Data SampleThe data presented is a summary analysis of multipleNorth American mobile networks analyzed over themonth of January 2021 at hourly intervals.A day in the life ofyour networkMobile network of todayBy looking at an average day in a mobilenetwork, we are going to sample differenttime periods to understand how applicationsand services change throughout the day. Weare mapping three distinct time periods –the morning when the traffic picks up, theafternoon with a peak at around 5pm, and theevening when there is a change in applicationusage.Peak TimesUnderstanding peak times is vital to delivering agreat application quality of experience. It comesas little surprise that mobile network traffic peaksbetween 3pm and 6pm when work and schoolare finishing up. However, different services peakduring different times of the day and it is vital fornetwork operators to understand what matters tosubscribers and when.Sandvine’s panel of network expertsare ready to help you understand theapplications that are driving a day inthe life of your network.Click here to learn more and speak withour experts.Click here0123NIGHT45678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23MORNINGAFTERNOON PREVIOUSEVENINGSTARTNEXT Copyright 2021 Sandvine. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.13

The Mobile InternetA Day in the Life of a Mobile NetworkPhenomena ReportMay 2021Morning has brokenFacebook, Facebook Video, and Instagramusage peaks in the morning as users start theircommutes to work and school and catch up onchanges in their social networks.Service Breakdown in the MorningWhat services do consumers use most as they starttheir day?Skype makes it to the highest rank in the top 10, aspeople make calls and message colleagues as theday begins.Marketplace 2.5%File Sharing 0.2%Gaming 0.5%23NIGHT456789MORNING10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23AFTERNOONVideoStreamingFacebookInstagramTikTok iCloud Instagram4.1% 3.2% Video 2%SocialNetworking6.3%1Click hereTop 10 ApplicationsMessaging0Speak with our experts to see a dayin the life of your network and how Sandvineenables operators to delight their customers.Social Networking comes in at number one with 29%of traffic, followed by Web browsing as consumerscatch up and start their day reading the latest news,trends and updates.Application Traffic CategoryCloudUnderstanding

Our ability to classify over 95% of network traffic across mobile and fixed networks by user, application, device, location, and other parameters creates . We are committed to delivering the preeminent view of global trends and distilled insights into the internet application ecosystem. As our global reach continues to expand across fixed .