This article is just a mess. It constantly switches contexts between speed and data usage. In the paragraph about White House task force projections it implies

This article is just a mess. It constantly switches contexts between speed and data usage. In the paragraph about White House task force projections it implies they were wrong but switches between speed/data usage context to justify the claim. It also bounces between mobile and wired, which are obviously very different. It's obvious that mobile data usage is constrained by available user time in mobile usage contexts. People use their mobile devices when they aren't busy doing something else and that time is limited. Most people are at the limit. Previous growth was driven both by adding more per user hours AND by adding new users. The author only showing data for overall bandwidth consumption masks the real drivers of the trends being discussed. Mobile speed requirements are constrained by being a ~6-inch hand-held screen. You don't need 4K or ultra-res textures on a 6-inch screen.