Who's Calling Whom? TeleGeography Points the Way

January 22, 2003

In 2001, Americans made 37 billion minutes of international telephone calls, just under a quarter of the 154 billion minutes of international calls made worldwide. Mexico was the country dialed most frequently by Americans, with 5.2 billion minutes, followed by Canada, with 5.1 billion minutes. The fastest growing major destination, however, has been India. In the past decade, U.S. phone calls to India surged from 59 million minutes to more than 1.4 billion minutes in 2001.

"Whom we call says a lot about who we are," commented TeleGeography Research Director Stephan Beckert. "Canada received almost twice as much U.S.-originated traffic as Mexico 10 years ago—but calls to Mexico have grown more than twice as fast." These findings are presented in a new report, TeleGeography 2003, which details international calling patterns for over 120 countries.

In 1991, Americans made just over half an hour of international calls per person. By 2001, they made more than two hours of international calls per capita, representing growth of more than 15 percent per year—impressive growth for an industry that's more than 125 years old.

While the United States is by far the largest single source of international telephone calls, Americans make fewer international calls per person than many smaller countries. Luxembourg tops the list, with almost 900 minutes—just under 15 hours—of international calls per person, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Switzerland, which each boast approximately 450 minutes of international calls per person.

India lies at the opposite end of the spectrum. While India is a huge destination for incoming phone calls, Indians on average make less than 30 seconds of international telephone calls per person, suggesting that the industry's best years may yet lie ahead.

U.S. International Traffic by Destination (million minutes)       Change Destination Country 1991 2001 91 - 01 Mexico 1,037.5 5,193.1 401% Canada 1,929.0 5,105.9 165% United Kingdom 659.8 2,066.3 213% Philippines 182.5 1,627.3 792% India 59.0 1,444.7 2,349% Germany 559.9 1,214.0 117% Japan 338.0 1,003.5 197% Dominican Republic 195.6 994.3 408% Brazil 122.3 849.6 595% France 210.2 816.7 289%         U.S. Total Outgoing 8,814.3 37,272.0 323% Note: Growth figures include PSTN traffic only; VoIP is excluded. From: TeleGeography 2003 Source: TeleGeography, Inc.

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