AI and Cloud Connectivity - Impact on Networking and Connectivity Investments

This IDC Perspective examines how the rapid growth of AI workloads is reshaping enterprise network infrastructure requirements and connectivity investment priorities. Drawing on IDC's 2025 Enterprise Connectivity Infrastructure and Services Survey, the report shows that bandwidth demand is accelerating across all industries, AI traffic is on track to overtake traditional network traffic by 2027-2028, and enterprises are already increasing investment in SD-WAN, network-as-a-service (NaaS), edge computing, and cloud interconnect. This document also identifies vertical-specific connectivity requirements across financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and the public sector, and provides actionable guidance for technology buyers and suppliers navigating the AI connectivity imperative."AI does not exist without connectivity. As enterprises accelerate their AI road maps, the network is no longer an infrastructure but is considered a strategic asset. Enterprises that align their connectivity strategy with their AI ambitions today will be the ones that deliver on the promise of AI tomorrow," says Paul Hughes, research director, IDC.