NEWS
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D. C.  20554
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.
See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                               NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
March 31, 2010                                                                         Linda Haller Sloan (202) 418-1408
FCC RELEASES 2008 INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC DATA
Washington, D.C. - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released an 
annual report entitled 2008 International Telecommunications Data regarding international 
message telephone, private line and miscellaneous services between the United States and other 
countries.  
 
Statistical Findings  
· International U.S.-billed facilities-based and facilities-resale traffic together increased from 
70.0 billion minutes in 2007 to 74.9 billion minutes in 2008.  For purposes of categorizing 
traffic, a facilities-based carrier provides service using its own international transmission 
facilities, while a facilities-resale carrier provides service utilizing international circuits 
leased from other reporting international carriers.
· Collectively, U.S.-billed minutes increased 7.0%.
· U.S.-billed revenues for international telephone, private line and other miscellaneous services 
increased collectively 0.5%, from $7.2 billion in 2007 to $7.3 billion in 2008.
International Services Billed Revenues
(Shown in Thousands of Dollars)
2007 2008 Percent Change
Telephone $6,524,486 $6,458,745 -1.0%
Private Line and Other
Miscellaneous 716,516 816,334 13.9%
Total Billed Revenues $7,241,002 $7,275,079 0.5%
· U.S. carriers’ net settlement payments (the amount they pay foreign carriers to terminate 
traffic overseas) decreased 0.6%.  Retained international revenues (revenues after settlement 
payments are made) increased 1.4% from 2007 to 2008.
Total Billed Revenues,
Net Settlement Payments, and
Retained Revenues
(Shown in Thousands of Dollars)
2007 2008 Percent Change
Total Billed Revenues $7,241,002 $7,275,079 0.5%
Net Settlement (3,350,238) (3,329,107) -0.6%
Retained $3,890,764 $3,945,972 1.4%
· Pure resale traffic grew 14.4% from 75.8 billion minutes in 2007 to 86.7 billion minutes in 
2008.  Billed revenues for resale services increased from $7.0 billion in 2007 to $8.5 billion 
in 2008.  The total number of carriers reporting resale services increased 10.0% from 1,068 
in 2007 to 1,175 in 2008.
The report is available for reference in the FCC’s Reference Information Center at 445 12th Street, 
S.W., Courtyard Level, Washington, D.C. 20554.  Copies may be purchased by contacting the 
FCC’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 
CY-B402, Washington D.C. 20554, telephone 1-800-378-3160, facsimile 202-488-5563, or via e-
mail www.bcpiweb.com.  The report can also be downloaded [file name: CREPOR08.ZIP or 
CREPOR08.PDF] from www.fcc.gov/ib. 
-FCC-
International Bureau contact:  Linda Blake at (202) 418-0945; TTY (202) 418-0484.