For over a decade, AppLogic Networks (formerly Sandvine) has published the Global Internet Phenomena Report (GIPR) – an annual analysis that provides detailed insights into global internet traffic patterns and the applications driving that traffic.
Since 2023, we’ve relied on our own AppLogic product to identify and categorize applications with an unmatched degree of coverage, allowing us to measure application volume, user volume, and popularity across various networks. This data is collected from a representative sample of anonymized and aggregated network traffic across different regions, providing a comprehensive picture of how people use the internet worldwide.
A few things to know about the AppLogic Networks Global Internet Phenomena Report:
- We focus on application usage. The report goes beyond just looking at overall traffic volume by identifying specific applications and their contribution to network usage, allowing for analysis of which apps are consuming the most bandwidth and potentially impacting network performance.
- We use AI-powered analysis. AppLogic uses machine learning and AI to accurately identify and categorize applications, even encrypted traffic, providing a more granular understanding of internet traffic patterns.
- We preserve and protect user privacy. The report is generated by aggregating and analyzing anonymized network traffic data collected from a diverse set of internet service providers around the world, offering a global perspective on internet usage.
- We seek to identify trends. The report highlights trends like the dominant applications by traffic volume, changes in usage patterns over time, the impact of new technologies, and how different regions compare in terms of internet consumption.
Key Findings in the 2025 Report
This year’s report dove deep into a few important trends in internet usage and traffic:
- The variable nature of application popularity. While video remains the largest application category in terms of volume, the content types and specific applications within that category are ever changing. Operators need to be able to identify the exact type of video in order to plan and optimize effectively while maintaining a high quality of experience.
- The rise of AI assistants. Though not significant in terms of volume – yet – the explosion of AI assistants in popularity should serve as fair warning to operators. What these assistants mean in terms of future demand and how that demand will translate into traffic – and by extension, customer satisfaction – is yet to be determined. The only way to be ready will be to watch carefully and plan strategically.
- The continued pervasiveness of ad analytics. Often referred to as “the most popular app no one asked for”, analytics apps are indeed everywhere and their cumulative traffic must be considered, measured, and optimized for efficiency.
- The ongoing evolution of encryption technologies. Encryption technologies continue to grow, both in terms of sophistication as well as usage. This means operators need to seek out better and better classification technologies in order to maintain service quality and customer satisfaction.
- The impact of live streaming. Live streamed sports are earthquakes in network traffic, causing rapid traffic peaks that can be 3-4X normal usage. Operators need to plan for and manage these peaks in order to maintain quality of experience without breaking the bank.
Why the GIPR Matters
The GIPR provides a comprehensive analysis of global internet traffic patterns, identifying which applications are driving the most data usage and offering valuable insights to internet service providers (ISPs) to understand how to best manage network capacity, optimize service quality, and potentially develop new service offerings based on emerging trends in app usage and data consumption.
AppLogic, the data source for our GIPR, goes beyond just general traffic volume data by identifying specific applications and their contribution to overall network usage, allowing ISPs to pinpoint which apps are putting the most strain on their infrastructure.
With such detailed information, AppLogic enables:
- Better network planning and capacity management. By understanding which applications are dominant and how usage patterns are evolving, ISPs can better plan network expansions and allocate resources efficiently to meet demand.
- Improved quality of service. AppLogic can help ISPs identify areas where user experience could be improved by optimizing network performance for specific high-traffic applications.
- Faster market opportunity identification. By tracking emerging trends in app usage, AppLogic can help ISPs anticipate future demands and potentially develop new service packages tailored to those trends.
We provide the GIPR free to the industry because we believe that when ISPs understand how users are consuming internet bandwidth across different applications and platforms, they can optimize their networks to deliver the best possible quality of experience to their customers.
We hope you find this report useful, and we welcome your comments and questions. If you’d like a detailed readout and review, contact us.
And if you’re an AppLogic Networks customer and you’d like to participate in the GIPR, please contact your account representative.
Topics: Quality of Experience, Global Internet Phenomena, App QoE, App Quality of Experience
