Double-Digit Telecom Growth Predicted

The overall telecommunications market (including equipment and services) grew 11% in 1996 and generated revenues of $298 billion. A market report put out by the Telecommunications Industry Association and MultiMedia Telecommunications Association said services accounted for 75% of the revenue total, posting a 9% gain over the previous year. The most robust growth came in equipment sales, increasing 17.8% over 1995. The fastest-growing segment within the equipment categories was computer telephony integration and wireless communications. The changing structure of the US economy, the ability of technologies to interoperate and higher capacity networks all fueled the industry's growth, according to the report. Local services revenues of $49.6 billion were up 7.6% in 1996.