The Global Telecommunications Traffic Report- 1991
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International Institute of Communications (IIC) THE GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRAFFIC REPORT- 1991 Gregory C. Staple -Editor Principal International Telecom Flows © HC 1991 THE GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRAFFIC REPORT - 1991 Gregory C. Staple - Editor © Copyright 1991 International Institute of Communications T~S ~S co~,¥ .o./~ DO NOT REPRODUCE The IIC is an independent educational and policy research organi- zation with members in more than 70 countries. It focuses on telecommunications and broadcasting issues on a world-wide basis. Institute publications include a bimonthly magazine, Intermedia, and a range of topical brief’rag papers. IIC publications and reports do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Institute’s officers, trustees or members. Previous IIC reports in this series: 1990 The Global Telecommunications Traffic Boom 1989 Global Telecommunications Traffic Flows and Market Structures For additional copies of this report or other publications, contact: International Institute of Communications Tavistock House South, Tavistock Square, London WCIH 9LF Tel: 071-388-0671/Fax: 071-380-0623/Telex: 24578 IICLDN G Cover Illustration - The cover maps the largest streams of switched international telecommunications traf17c onto a ci~cular projection. Routes shown generally had a two-way flow in 1990 exceeding gO million Minutes of Telecommunication Traf17c (MITT). Some routes have been omitted for presentation purposes. Shaded map areas show major points of origin and destination. Concept: Gregory C. Staple. Illustration: Maryland CartoGraptffcs. ©International Institute of Communications 1991 The Global Telecommunications T:aflqc R#port- 1991 This report could not have been compiled without assistance. Carriers, government departments and regulatory organizations from around the world responded to our informational requests. We are grateful for their cooperation. Special thanks also are due to the many professionals within these organizations who encouraged our work and set aside the time necessary to ensure that the data reported here is as up-to-date and comprehensive as is reasonably possible. We also wish to thank the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), Directorate General XIII, for underwriting our research on European telecommunications and for permitting the IIC to publish certain Commission data on traffic to and from member states. The CEC’s independent effort to improve the scope of statistics on international telecommunications flows is most welcome. The "new look" of the 1991 report and expanded national coverage were also supported, in part, by a special publication grant from MCI Communications Corporation. The grant came without any editorial pre-conditions; the IIC remains responsible for the contents of The Global Telecommunications TraflTc Report- 1991. This report reflects a team effort. Deanna Nichols and Ron Sasine led the statistical research. Word processing and desk-top publishing assistance were provided by Barbara Frank and Michelle McDermid. Bennett Moe at Maryland CartoGraphics (Columbia, MD) contributed his computer graphic skills to the illustrations. We have tried to ensure the accuracy of the statistics presented here by relying upon primary sources whenever possible. Nevertheless, in a project of this magnitude, some errors are bound to occur. We would be grateful if our readers would bring them to our attention so that they are not carried forward to future editions. Gregory C. Staple Editor The GlobM Tde~ommuni~n’ons TrafHc Report- 1991 Toward the end of the 1980s, computing competition in key markets will continue power, electronic databases and global to transform the global telecommunica- telecommunications networks had tions industry. And telecommunications, succeeded in eroding once formidable in turn, will continue to be a fast-growing, barriers to commerce and communi- dynamic, strategically-important industry cations. Geography, political divisions for any country that wants to sustain or and time ceased to be effective hindrances initiate solid economic growth. There is to business operations or personal no alternative. A nation’s economic and interactions. For the in’st time in history, political health today depend upon a virtually every comer of the globe could thriving telecommunications sector. tap instantaneously into an expanding, increasingly intelligent global information This third edition of a:ke,~abal network. Telecommunications Traffic Report emphasizes three key trends. It makes You could say the information age truly clear that, despite recession and war, the came of age -- on a global scale -- by the global traffic boom is continuing, that end of the 1980s. Appropriately enough, national and global markets are in 1989 the IIC issued its fast Global conver#ng and that a new era of Telecommunications Traffic Report. innovative, increasingly-multimedia Measuring global telecommunications information services are creating a traffic is a very useful way to understand platform for an ongoing revolution the forces at work in transforming our throughout the 1990s. world. That’s the reason this report is such a welcome addition to the wealth of The transformational power of information available about the information, widely dispersed and instantly telecommunications industry. It helps us available, should not be underestimated. put key industry trends into proper Information tends to undermine rigid perspective -- which is increasingly a political and corporate hierarchies and global perspective. Important trends in artificial boundaries. It is, therefore, no business, politics and society at large can coincidence that the 1980s ended with a be understood, at least in part, by flourish of democratic revolutions and measuring telecommunications traffic and with the globalization of business analyzing trends in telecommunications organizations. technologies and usage rates. Both in politics and in business we are As this report underscores, the forces of now in the midst of a new, transnational technological innovation, customer era. We have moved abruptly from a bi- demand and the growing acceptance of polar world, dominated by two superpowers locked in a Cold War standoff, to an increasingly multipolar world order. World politics have become more decentralized and democratic. In global business, we’re seeing a similar trend toward a decentralized world in which advanced global telecommunications networks enable companies to respond quickly to market opportunities anywhere, anytime. Because this report is so helpful to so many audiences, MCI is proud to be associated with the third edition of The Global Telecommunications Traffic l~:~tt. We recommend it wholeheartedly as a valuable resource for telecommuni- cations users, for service providers, for regulators and for students of the industry. William G. McGowan Chairman and CEO MCI Connnunicatioas Corporation 6ii) The Global Telecommtmications Trat~c Report - I.~I (iv) Page Preface Index of Table and Maps (vi) I. Introduction A. Coverage and Themes 1 B. The Year In Review 1990-1991: 5 Carriers and Traffic Trends II. Review Articles A. "Rewiring Europe: New Politics, New 13 Networks?" by Denis Gilhooly B. "The International Market For Multimedia 24 Communications: Looking Beyond Tlxe Fax Machine" by Kyoto Uehara and Hirotoshi Nishida C. "Whose Traffic Is It Anyway? A Survey of 35 Foreign Investment in North American Telecommunication Companies and National Ownership Rules" by Gregory C. Staple III. Statistics 53 A. Basic Indicators: Countries and Communications 55 B. The World’s Largest International Carriers 62 C. International Telecommunication Traffic: 67 Countries and Routes 1. The Americas 67 2. Europe 78 3. The Middle East 98 4. Asia and the Pacific 100 Appendix A - Methodology 111 The Global Telecommunications Tratt~c Report - 1991 MAPS Page Ao Countries With Route-by-Route Tables 54 Telegeography: Regional Traffic Flows (1) North America 68 (2) Europe 79 (3) Asia 101 STATISTICAL TABLES A. Basic Indicators National Statistics: Population, GNP, 55 Area and Telephone Lines (1989) 2 National Telecommunication Statistics: 56 Telephone Lines, Mobile Telephones and Fax Machines (1989 - 1990) 3a Telecommunication Traffic Balances For 57 Selected Countries (1990) 3b Telecommunication Traffic Balances For 58 Selected Countries (1989) 4 International Telephone Charges and 59 Traffic Balances for Selected O.E.C.D. Countries (1989) 5 Capacity and Cost, Per Voice Path, Of 60 Selected Trans-Oceanic Cables (1956 - 1996) 6 Capacity, In Voice Paths, of Trans-Oceanic 61 Cable And Satellite Systems (1986 - 1996) (vi) TABLES (ConL) Page B. The Largest International Carriers and Markets 7a The Traffic Base Of The Top 25 International 62 Carriers (1990) 7b The Top 15 International Carriers (1990) 63 8 The Fastest Growing International Carriers: 64 1986- 1990 9 Market Shares Of Competing International 65 Carriers in the U.S., U.K. and Japan (1985 - 1990) 10 International Routes With The Largest Volume 66 of Telecommunication Traffic (1990) Co International Telecommunication Traffic: Countries and Routes 2-’he Americas 11 Brazil 69 12 Canada 70 13 Colombia 71 14 Mexico 72 15a United States - Outgoing Traffic 73 15b United States - Incoming Traffic 74 15c United States - Top Ten Routes 75 15d United States - Fastest Growing Routes 76 16 Venezuela 77 The European Comm~lni~;y 17 Belgium 80 (vii) TABLES (Cont.) 18 Denmark 81 19 France 82 20 Germany 83 21 Greece 84 22 Ireland 85 23a Italy - Intercontinental Traffic 86 23b