Nokia predicts that by 2035, AI will generate nearly half of global network traffic. By that time, networks will increasingly need to serve both connected machines and people. AI will drive greater demand for uplink capacity, require faster response times, and necessitate more processing closer to users and devices.
This is according to Nokia’s Global Network Traffic Report. The report indicates that by 2035, total network traffic will nearly quadruple in volume compared to 2026 levels. The volume is projected to reach nearly 3,789 exabytes (EB) per month, with 44% of that traffic generated by AI.
The increasing use of autonomous AI agents and connected machines will pose a challenge to networks built primarily for downloads. This is because the demand for upload capacity and real-time responses is rising sharply. Physical AI applications, such as robots and self-driving vehicles, are expected to generate more than 90% of their traffic via the network uplink by 2035.
Although the current volume is still limited, traffic from agentic AI is expected to be 160 times greater in 2035 than in 2026. Meanwhile, traffic from physical AI is expected to reach 105 times the 2026 level during the same period. This projected growth requires networks capable of supporting a wide range of applications
Most AI traffic in the central cloud
The report also predicts a shift in where AI data will be processed by 2035. Although the majority of AI traffic is expected to remain within the central cloud, edge and metro-core infrastructure is projected to process 36% of all AI-native traffic by 2035. In this context, agentic and physical AI applications are gaining importance.
More efficient models, low-latency requirements, and data sovereignty needs are expected to bring intelligence and inference closer to users and devices, thereby supporting a more distributed infrastructure.
In addition to AI, the report predicts that fixed wireless access (FWA) will generate more than one-third of consumer mobile traffic by 2035 as connections and usage increase. As a result, mobile networks are becoming increasingly important for home broadband connections, in addition to their traditional role in mobile communications.