Internet-generated broadband traffic will increase approximately 50 percent year over year on fixed networks and double on mobile networks.  IDC also notes that fixed and mobile traffic volumes are driven by power users.

IDC forecasts that end-user demand for worldwide wireline and mobile broadband traffic will increase from 9,665 petabytes per month in 2010 to 116,539 petabytes per month in 2015, or two orders of magnitude in just five years.

Web browsing, peer-to-peer file sharing, audio/video streaming, and a host of other applications are all driving bandwidth consumption.

"The enormous growth in end-user demand for both fixed and mobile broadband services is staggering," says Matt Davis, IDC director of Consumer and SMB Telecom Services.

Bandwidth usage strongly correlates with the availability of faster broadband speeds. Given access to faster speeds, users and application providers adjust by creating and consuming apps that use such speed.

High-definition video content will drive a new level of bandwidth demand, with more than 50 percent of video and audio streaming destined for a connected TV (either directly or indirectly), an iPad, or another mobile device or tablet.