Oracle announced the "Oracle Communications LTE Diameter Signaling Index, Sixth Edition," highlighting the continued explosive growth in LTE Diameter Signaling traffic. Fueled heavily by the proliferation of smartphones and rise of Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices, the report demonstrates that Diameter signaling shows no sign of slowing and is expected to generate 595 million messages per second (MPS) by 2021.
Other key developments impacting LTE network traffic include LTE broadcast, VoLTE, and signaling associated with the policy management required to support more sophisticated data plans and applications. Connected cars also continue to show strong network traffic momentum, with 9.4 MPS and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30 percent.
The report was designed as a tool for communications service providers (CSPs) network engineers and executives to plan for expected increases in signaling capacity over the next five years.
Central and Southern Asia will account for 10 percent of the world's Diameter signaling, reaching 62.4 million MPS, a CAGR of 38 percent, by 2021.
Policy management is the largest generator of Diameter signaling in the region, generating 10.4 percent of the world's policy-related Diameter signaling. Pakistan, followed by India, is the largest generators.
It is anticipated that growth will continue in Diameter even as 5G implementations begin. While Diameter will not be the main signaling protocol of 5G, it will remain as an important part of 5G networks.
For example, according to Statista.com, smartphones will represent 76 percent of wireless connections by 2021. As consumers maintain their appetite for "always on" connections to increasingly sophisticated and data intensive applications such as gaming and video, LTE network traffic will continue to skyrocket. Likewise, devices that reach beyond the traditional mobile handset, such as IoT sensors used in everything from tracking available parking spots and moisture in crops to lost pets or workers on a job site will have a significant impact on Diameter signaling growth.
"Diameter signaling traffic continues to grow significantly with little end in sight. While smartphones continue to be the traffic leader, applications such as connected cars and IoT promise a significant impact to network traffic in years to come," said Greg Collins, Founder and Principal Analyst, Exact Ventures.-PR