NEWS                                                       October 11, 1996


         FCC RELEASES PRELIMINARY 1995 INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC DATA

     The FCC has released a report prepared by the Common Carrier Bureau's Industry Analysis
Division entitled Preliminary 1995 Section 43.61 International Telecommunications Data. 

     Traffic between the United States and other countries is reported on a country-by-country
basis for telephone, telegraph, telex and private line services.  Although international traffic data
is reported in great detail, it is not reported until after U.S. and foreign carriers can reconcile
their books.  Carriers will file final versions of the 1995 traffic data by October 31, 1996.  

     The report shows that U.S. carriers billed about $14.9 billion for international services
in 1995, up about $2 billion from 1994.  In 1995, U.S. customers made about 2.8 billion 
international telephone calls  and received about 1.5 billion calls.  United States carriers
provided 16,747 private line circuits between the United States and international points as of
year end 1995.  

     U.S. and foreign carriers compensate each other for completed calls.  Because U.S.
customers place more calls than do foreign customers, U.S. carriers make a net payment to
foreign carriers.  The net amount was $4.9 billion in 1995, up from $4.3 billion in 1994.  U.S.
carriers retained about $10 billion of international revenues, up from $8.7 billion in 1994.     
 
     The report and its underlying data are available for reference in the Common Carrier
Bureau Reference Room, 2000 M Street, N.W., Room 575.  Copies may be purchased by
calling International Transcription Services, Inc., (ITS) at (202)857-3800.  The report and
spreadsheets containing statistical tables can be downloaded [file name 4361-p95.ZIP] from the
FCC-State Link internet site, which can be reached through a link from the Common Carrier
Bureau home page (http://www.fcc.gov/ccb.html) on the World Wide Web.  The report can also
be downloaded from the FCC-State Link computer bulletin board system at (202) 418-0241. 


FCC
 

     For additional information, contact Linda Blake or Jim Lande of the Bureau's Industry
Analysis Division, (202) 418-0940.