This is the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) annual report compiling data on telecommunications service between the United States and international points.  The data compiled in this report are for the year 2004.  The data are compiled from reports submitted to the FCC by U.S. carriers pursuant to Section 43.61 of the Commission's rules.  Section 43.61(a) directs carriers to file reports by July 31 which summarize international telecommunications service provided during the preceding calendar year.  Carriers submit corrections of the data by October 31.  The specific filing requirements are set forth in the Manual for Filing Section 43.61 Data (June 1995).  

Statistical Findings

  • U.S. billed minutes increased 32.5% from 48.0 billion in 2003 to 63.6 billion in 2004. 
  • In 2004, seventy-two U.S. facilities-based and facilities-resale carriers reported that they billed $8.7 billion for international telephone service, $458 million for private line services, and $136 million for other miscellaneous international services, compared to $8.9 billion, $620 million, and $156 million, respectively, in 2003. 
  • U.S. carrier’s net settlement payments – the amount paid to foreign carriers to compensate those carriers for completing calls – increased from $3.1 billion in 2003 to $3.6 billion in 2004.  
  • Retained revenues – revenues billed by U.S. carriers, less settlement amounts owed to foreign carriers for U.S. billed traffic, plus settlement amounts due to U.S. carriers for foreign-billed traffic – decreased 13.6% from $6.6 billion in 2003 to $5.7 billion in 2004.
  • Pure resale providers resell the services of underlying U.S. facilities-based and facilities-resale carriers.  The number of reporting carriers grew from 776 in 2003 to 794 in 2004.  Pure resale minutes grew from 36.1 billion in 2003 to 38.5 billion in 2004.  Billed revenues decreased from $5.8 billion in 2003 to $5.2 billion in 2004. 

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