Nokia forecasts AI will drive 44% of global network traffic by 2035

AI will change the shape of network demand

Nokia’s forecast points to a shift away from networks designed mainly for downloads and human users. The company expects autonomous AI agents and connected machines to increase demand for upload capacity, low latency and real-time responses.

Physical AI applications, including robots and vehicles that interact with their surroundings, are projected to generate more than 90% of their network traffic over the uplink by 2035. This would create requirements that differ from those of traditional applications, which typically place greater demand on downloads.

Agentic AI traffic is projected to reach 160 times its 2026 levels in 2035. Physical AI traffic is expected to reach 105 times its 2026 level over the same period. Nokia says these workloads will require networks that can support both bulk uploads and continuous, real-time connections.

More AI processing is expected to move closer to users

Most AI traffic is expected to remain within the central cloud by 2035. However, Nokia projects that edge and metro core infrastructure will serve 36% of all AI-native traffic as agentic and physical AI applications become more prominent.

The company links this shift to more efficient models, low-latency requirements and data sovereignty needs. Processing and inferencing closer to users and devices would support a more distributed infrastructure that Nokia calls the AI grid.

Pallavi Mahajan, Nokia’s Chief Technology and AI Officer, said in the company announcement that “The next phase of AI will depend as much on the network as on compute.” She added that network readiness should be a central part of AI planning.

Nokia also expects growth in fixed wireless access

The report forecasts that fixed wireless access, or FWA, will generate more than one-third of consumer cellular traffic by 2035 as connections and usage grow. That would expand cellular networks’ role in home broadband alongside mobile services.

Nokia says its Global Network Traffic Report for 2026 to 2035 uses a bottom-up model covering consumer, enterprise and AI traffic. The analysis combines application usage, connected-device activity and agentic workflows with third-party research, expert review, Nokia lab testing and Nokia insights.

For network operators, the findings indicate that preparing for AI will involve more than expanding capacity. They will also need to address the direction of traffic, response times and where processing takes place. For users, the report describes an infrastructure shift intended to support AI applications involving machines, vehicles and other connected devices, although the forecast does not represent a guarantee of future deployment.