Factory sales of telecommunications equipment rose 16 percent to $63 billion last year, spurred by rapid gains in Internet and intranet usage. The Telecommunications Industry Association reported that US exports of telecommunications equipment reached $17.1 billion, a 5 percent increase over 1995. International sales of telephone switching equipment gained 8 percent in 1996 to $4 billion, the largest export category for the industry. Also posting strong export sales were modems, which eclipsed $1 billion, marking a 56 percent increase from 1995 sales; and fiber optic cable, which rose 23 percent to more than $600 million.