The growth of the service sector in national economies has brought
telecommunications into the spotlight. The importance of
telecommunications as a service industry in itself as well as a critical
support element for other service industries is now the subject of high
level policy formulation in practically every country in the world. This
has led to changes such as the separation of telecommunication operations
and regulations, privatisation of telecommunication operators and the
introduction of competition. Interest in telecommunications now extends
beyond engineers to include government officials, economists, lawyers,
banks, users and the press.
The Telecommunication Indicator Handbook identifies and defines
the most important indicators for analysis of the telecommunication
sector. Its goal is to assist the standardization of statistics to improve
analysis and comparisons within and across countries and telecommunication
operators.
Draft versions of this Handbook were discussed at the following
meetings: OECD Working Party on Telecommunication and Information Services
Policies (Paris, February 1993), BDT Working Group on Telecommunication
Development Indicators (Brasila, October 1993) and EUROSTAT ICOBS/AS
Working Group (Luxembourg, January 1994). The Handbook would not have been
possible without the cooperation of the telecommunication regulators,
operators and international agencies that provided valuable comments in
these meetings. The Handbook has also considered indicators contained in
the documents identified in the Bibliography.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Public telecommunications sector indicators
The purpose of the Handbook is to identify and define the most
important indicators useful for analyzing the public telecommunication
sector. The term "Public telecommunication sector" refers to the
telecommunications infrastructure and services provided on this
infrastructure for the public at large. This would include
telecommunication networks (e.g., telephone, telex, telegraph, data) which
consist of exchanges (switches) linked by transmission circuits that
connect subscribers to each other and with subscribers abroad. Anyone can
subscribe to the network; hence the term public which refers to the
access arrangement rather than the ownership of the network. The public
telecommunications sector does not include private networks (1)
that do not automatically connect to the public network or which have
limitations on membership. The public telecommunications sector also
excludes telecommunications equipment manufacturing and broadcasting (2).
The Handbook provides a basic list of indicators that network operators
and regulatory agencies should strive to collect and disseminate.
Definitions are included to assist telecommunications analysts as well as
the growing number of non-specialists interested in telecommunications to
understand the data. Guidelines are provided for those responsible for
collecting and disseminating national statistics.
The list of indicators is shown in Table 1. The indicators are
classified into different areas that provide a broad view of the public
telecommunication sector. Telephone network sizeand
dimension shows parameters for what is typically the largest component
of the telecommunications sector, the telephone network. The parameters
measure the total size and the number of users, how modern the network is
and the composition of the user base. Enhanced and other services
shows subscribers of newer services such as mobile telephones and data
networks as well as the long standing telex service. Quality of
service measures the reliability of the telephone network. Traffic
measures the usage of the telephone, telegram and telex networks both
nationally and internationally. Tariffs show the costs to the
subscriber for using telecommunications services. Staff shows the
number of people employed in the public telecommunications sector.
Revenue and costs show the income and costs associated with
providing telecommunications services. Investment shows expenditure
for expanding and modernizing the network.
Table 1: Telecommunication indicators
Telephone Network Size and
Dimension
1.
Telephone main lines in operation
2.
Total capacity of local public switching exchanges
3.
Main lines connected to digital exchanges
4.
Main lines which are for residential use
5.
Main lines in urban areas
6.
Public pay phones
Other Services
7.
Number of telex subscribers
8.
Cellular mobile telephone subscribers
9.
Radio pager subscribers
10.
Leased circuits
11.
Public data network subscribers
12.
Videotex subscribers
13.
ISDN subscribers
Quality of Service
14.
Waiting list for main lines
15.
Percentage of telephone service faults cleared by next working
day
16.
Percentage of calls which fail
17.
Telephone main line faults
18.
Percentage of calls for operator service answered within 15
seconds
19.
Complaints per 1000 bills
20.
Customer satisfaction rate
Traffic
21.
Local telephone traffic
22.
National telephone traffic
23.
International telephone traffic
24.
National telegrams
25.
International outgoing telegrams
26.
National telex traffic
27.
International outgoing telex traffic
Tariffs
28.
Telephone service installation charge
29.
Telephone service monthly subscription charge
30.
National call charges
31.
International call charges
32.
Mobile communications charges
33.
Leased line charges
34.
Packet-switched data communications network charges
Staff
35.
Total full-time staff in telecommunication services
Revenue and Costs
36.
Total revenues from all telecommunication services of
which:
37.
Revenues from telephone service
37a.
Revenues from telephone connection charges
37b.
Revenues from telephone subscription charges
37c.
Revenues from local and national calls
37d.
Revenues from international calls
38.
Revenues from telegrams and telex services
39.
Revenues from other data/text services
40.
Revenue from leased lines
41.
Revenue from mobile communications services
42.
Other revenues
43.
Total expenditure for telecommunication services of which:
44.
Operational expenses
45.
Net interest payments/receipts
46.
Taxes
47.
Depreciation
48.
Other expenditures
Investment
49.
Total annual investment in telecommunications, including land
and buildings
50.
Total annual investment in telecommunications, excluding land
and buildings
50a.
Annual investment in research and development
50b.
Annual investment in telephone switching
equipment
1.2 Reporting period
The indicators should be collected at least on an annual basis.
Historical data should be retained for measuring trends and forecasting
future demand. The use of a common reporting year (e.g., end of the
calendar year) is desirable for comparative purposes. While this is not
always possible due to differing national practices, all the data should
at least refer to the same end period to enhance the precision of
derivations. For example, operational data and financial data should refer
to the same end period to measure revenue per subscriber line
accurately.
1.3 Demographic and macro-economic data
The list of indicators does not contain demographic or macro-economic
statistics. These data are needed for gauging telecommunications network
penetration and the impact of telecommunications on the overall economy.
Demographic and macro-economic statistics are regularly collected and
disseminated by national statistical agencies and economic and finance
ministries as well as regional and international organizations (e.g.,
OECD, UN, World Bank, International Monetary Fund). Some of the main
publications containing demographic and economic statistics are shown in
the bibliography.
Demographic and macro-economic data useful for telecommunication
analysis are described in Table 2:
Table 2: Demographic and macro-economic indicators
Demographic
Population size is essential for measuring network penetration
(e.g., telephone lines per 100 inhabitants). Number of households
and percentage of population in urban areas is also useful.
Employment
Useful for expressing telecommunications employment as a
percentage of total employment.
Exchange rate
Needed for converting financial data to a standard unit for
inter-country comparisons such as the US dollar or the ECU. It is
preferable to use an average exchange rate since telecommunications
financial operations typically accrue over a period of time. For
tariff comparisons, it is preferable to use Purchasing Power Parties
(PPPs) which compensate for the different cost of living between
countries.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Useful for gauging the size of the telecommunications sector
vis-a-vis the overall domestic economy (e.g., telecommunications
revenues as a percent of GDP).
Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF)
Useful for measuring the share of telecommunications investment
to total investment in the economy (e.g., telecommunications
investment as a percent of GFCF).
Inflation Price Index
Inflation price indices are useful for correcting financial data
for the effects of inflation. Common prices indices include the
consumer price index or the GDP deflator though for investment
time-series it is preferable to use a GFCF
Deflator.
1.4 Derived indicators
Derived statistics are not defined since these can be calculated from
the primary indicators. For example, main lines per 100 inhabitants can be
calculated from main lines and population, telecommunications staff per
1,000 main lines can be derived from full-time staff and main lines, etc.
The most typical types of derivations used are identified in Table 3.
Table 3. Derived indicators
Main lines per 100 inhabitants
Main lines / Population * 100
The most widely used indicator for comparing the penetration of
telephone service.
Employees per 1000 main lines
Employees / Main lines * 1000
The most widely used indicator for comparing staff
productivity.
Telecom revenues as a per cent of GDP
Telecom revenues / GDP
Useful for comparing the size of the telecom sector to the
overall economy.
Telecom investment as a per cent of GFCF
Telecom investment / GFCF
Useful for comparing the share of telecom investment to overall
investment in the economy.
1.5 Aggregated indicators
The telecommunications indicators are useful for intra-country (when
more than one national operator) as well as inter-country comparisons. If
there is more than one operator in a country, their results need to be
added to obtain an overall total so that international comparisons can be
made (3).
Common reporting periods and indicators (as contained in the list) are
important for obtaining accurate country totals and enhancing transparency
in comparisons.
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) annual
Yearbook provides a good example of how a country total can be obtained
where there are many operators providing service. See Table 4.
Table 4. Aggregation Example
31.12.1990
Total US
AT&T Communications Inc.
Seven Regional Bell Operating Companies
Other Reporting Local Exchange Companies
Full-time employees
639'470
76'869
440'466
122'135
Total switched access lines
126'388'961
103'874'183
22'514'778
Total operating revenues (thousands of dollars)
117'423'237
33'533'605
67'010'637
16'878'995
Source: Adapted from FCC. Statistics of Communications Common
Carriers. 1990/91 Edition. US Government Printing Office, Washington
D.C.
1.6 Telecommunications organizations
In order to obtain a complete picture of the public telecommunications
sector in the country, it is also useful to know the names of the agency
responsible for enacting the telecommunications laws of the country
(typically a ministry), the entity responsible for supervising and
regulating the operators and a list of operators which have been licensed
and the services they provide.
Table 5. Telecommunications organizations example
Ministry:
Department of Trade and Industry
Regulator:
Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL)
Operator(s):
British Telecommunications
Mercury Communications, Inc.
Kingston
Telecommunications
1.7 Telecommunications services
It is also useful to know the various telecommunications services
available in a country. A sample list is shown in Table 6.
Table 6. Telecommunication services
Call waiting
Alerts user with special tone that there is an
incoming call.
Call forwarding
Allows calls to be forwarded to another
location.
Caller identification
Displays the phone number of the person calling.
Group calling
Allows more than two people to participate in
telephone conversation.
Country Direct Service
Allows residents of a country to obtain operator and
calling services from their country when abroad.
800 (Green) Numbers
Calls charged to recipient rather than caller.
ISDN
Access to Integrated Services Digital Network.
Video Conference
Access to facility for image-based
conversations.
Videotex
Access to videotex network.
Electronic directory
Access to an electronic version of the telephone
directory.
Electronic mail
Access to Internet- or X.400-based electronic
mail.
900 Service
Special service numbers whereby caller pays fee for
information provided in addition to any local calling charges.
Radio paging
Access to a radio paging network.
Cellular mobile telephone
Access to mobile network employing cellular
technology.
Packet switch data network
Access to data network employing packet switching
(e.g., X.25) technology.
Telex
Access to world-wide telex network.
High speed data communications
Special data communications services besides dial-up
over modem, ISDN or packet-switching network.
Telecommunication credit cards
Availability of credit cards for calling that can be
used in pay phones in other countries.
Note: This list is intended to be indicative rather than
comprehensive.
2. DEFINITIONS
Telephone network size and dimension
1. Telephone main lines in operation
A main line is a telephone line connecting the subscriber's
terminal equipment to the public switched network and which has a
dedicated port in the telephone exchange equipment. This term is
synonymous with the term "main station" or "Direct Exchange Line" (DEL)
which are commonly used in telecommunication documents. It may
not be the same as an access line or a subscriber (see
below).
It is understood that:
--the line connected to the telephone exchange may be either an
exclusive exchange line or a shared line;
--when a subscriber's equipment has several extensions (private
branch exchange), the number of main lines is equal to the number of
lines connecting the installation to the telephone exchange, whether
these lines are operated in one direction or in both directions.
Example:
A subscriber's equipment with extensions is served by 50 lines which
connect it to the telephone exchange. The installation has ten operating
positions (and therefore ten "operator's stations") and 500 extensions.
In accordance with the above definition this installation must be
counted as having 50 main lines (i.e. as many as there are lines
connecting the subscriber installation to the exchange).
In other words, it will not be counted as having:
either one main line (which would refer to the
installation),
or ten main lines (which would correspond to the number of
operator's stations),
or 500 main lines (which correspond to the extensions).
A distinction should be noted between subscriber and main line.
Subscribers (e.g., customer's which are billed individually) may
share the same line (e.g., party line) or use extensions from a private
extensions. Thus one main line could serve several subscribers. Some
operators are not in a position to report main lines and report the
number of subscribers. This should be described in a note; the treatment
of payphones should be explained since these normally would be included
as main lines.
Some operators report access lines rather than main lines. Access
lines typically include extensions on Private Automatic Branch Exchanges
(PABXs) that can be billed separately or that have their own telephone
number. Operators that report access lines rather than main lines should
provide their definition; if possible they should specify the number of
extensions counted as access lines.
The treatment of high speed lines which contain many voice channels
compressed on the same circuit poses a definitional challenge. For
instance, a large organization may lease a single 1.5 or 2.0 Mbit/s
circuit giving multiple voice channels. In this instance, for purposes
of comparison, it would be better to count the number of channels
(multiple) rather than the line (single).
2. Total capacity of local public switching exchanges
The total capacity of public switching exchanges corresponds to the
maximum number of main lines which can be connected. This number
includes, therefore, main lines already connected and main lines
available for future connection, including those used for the technical
operation of the exchange (test numbers). The measure should be the
actual capacity of the system rather than the theoretical potential when
the system is upgraded or compression technology is employed.
3. Main lines connected to digital exchanges
The number of main lines connected to digital telephone exchanges.
It should be made clear that this indicator does not measure the
exchanges which are digital, inter-exchange lines which are digital or
digital network termination points, though these may be useful measures
in their own right. Respondents should indicate if the main lines
included in the definition are only those in operation (indicator 1) or
the total capacity (indicator 2).
4. Main lines for residential use
The number of main lines serving households (i.e., lines which are
not used for business, government or other professional purposes or as
public telephone stations). The definition of "households" which is
being applied should be indicated.
5. Main lines in urban areas
The number of main lines in urban areas by the total number of main
lines in the country. The definition of urban should be supplied.
See Table 6 for an illustrative example.
Table 6: Urban main lines example
Distribution of Telephones (DELs) between Urban and Rural Areas,
India, 31st March 1991
No. of DELs (000 lines)
DELs (%)
Urban
2 M.T.N.L.
1213
23.90
2 Metro City Districts
434
8.55
15 Major City Districts
777
15.31
281 Other Cities
1241
24.46
3396 Towns with population 5000 & above
880
17.34
Total Urban
4545
89.56
Rural
530
10.44
All India
5075
100.00
Note: Villages: (=Population less than 5,000) Source:
Department of Communications. Indian Telecommunication Statistics
1991. New Delhi. p. 5.
6. Public pay phones
Public telephones refers to the total number of all types of public
telephones including coin and card operated and public telephones in
call offices. Public phones installed in private places should also be
included as should mobile public telephones. All public telephones
regardless of capability (e.g., local calls or national only) should be
counted. Where the national definition of pay phone differs from that
above (e.g., by excluding pay phones in private places) this should be
noted.
Other services
7. Telex subscriber lines
A telex subscriber line is a line connecting the subscriber's
terminal equipment to the public telex network and which has a dedicated
port in the telex exchange equipment.
8. Cellular mobile telephone subscribers
Subscribers to an automatic public mobile telephone service which
provides access to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) using
cellular technology. This can be further sub-divided by analog and
digital systems. Subscribers to public mobile data services, private
trunked mobile radio, telepoint, or radio paging services should not be
included.
9. Radio paging subscribers
Users of portable paging devices that can be called from the PSTN.
10. Leased circuits
Leased circuits refer to a two-way link for the exclusive use of a
subscriber regardless of the way it is used by the subscriber (e.g.,
switched subscriber or non-switched, or voice or data). Leased circuits,
also referred to as leased lines, can be either national or
international in scope. In reporting this indicator, only the number of
lines should be included, not the number of network termination points.
11. Public data network subscribers
The number of subscribers to public data networks including
packet-switched networks, circuit-switched networks, and dial-up data
networks. Separate indicators can be reported for each. Countries should
specify in a note what networks they are including.
12. Videotex subscribers
Subscribers to videotex service (using terminals to communicate with
databases over the telephone network).
13. ISDN subscribers
The number of subscribers to the Integrated Services Digital
Network. This can be separated by basic rate interface service (i.e.,
2B+D, CCITT Rec. I.420) and primary rate.
Quality of Service
14. Waiting list for main lines
Un-met applications for connection to the PSTN which have had to be
held over owing to a lack of technical facilities (equipment, lines,
etc.). It should be specified what is the normal period for responding
to requests for a new line (for instance, no more than two weeks from
the date of the request). Separate indicators should be collected for
waiting times to other services, e.g., leased lines, mobile
communications, packet switched data communications.
15. Percentage of telephone service faults cleared by next working
day
Faults cleared by the next working day refers to the percentage of
faults reported to the PSTN that have been corrected by the end of the
next working day. (e.g., not including non-working days
(weekends)). Separate indictors of fault clearance should be collected
for other services.
16. Percentage of calls which fail during the busy hour
The percentage of unsuccessful calls refers to the number of calls
that could not be completed due to technical problems for which the
operator is responsible (e.g., network congestion, line failure) divided
by the total number of calls (successful and unsuccessful). Numbers that
are engaged, called party not available or subscriber error should not
be included as incomplete calls. Separate indicators of call failure
should be collected for other services. For leased lines, percentage of
time the line is un-available to the customer is a better indicator.
17. Telephone main lines faults
The total number of reported faults to main telephone lines for the
year. Countries should specify whether faults due to faulty terminal
equipment on the customer's premises is included in the indicator or
not. Faults which are not the direct responsibility of the public
telecommunications operator should probably be excluded.
18. Percentage of calls for operator service answered within 15
seconds
The percentage of calls for operator services answered within 15
seconds. This should include directory inquiry and operator assistance
calls. A separate indicator should be collected for response times for
emergency service calls.
19. Complaints per 1000 bills
The number of complaints regarding billing for the year divided by
the number of bills sent out multiplied by 1000. Countries may want to
specify whether the complaints were valid or not.
20. Customer satisfaction rate
A number of telecommunication companies employ customized techniques
for gauging customer satisfaction to their services. Explanation
regarding the methodology used should be provided in a note.
Traffic
21. Local telephone traffic
Local traffic consists of effective (completed) traffic exchanged
within the local charging area in which the calling station is situated.
This is the area within which one subscriber can call another on payment
of the local charge (if applicable). This indicator should be reported
in the number of calls (messages) and/or minutes. If the indicator is
reported in meter units or pulses, then an appropriate conversion figure
to calls/minutes of traffic should be supplied. Each country should
include a footnote explaining its definition of the local charging area
and indicate the number of such areas and their average size (in
km2).
22. National telephone traffic
National trunk (toll) traffic consists of effective (completed)
national traffic exchanged with a station outside the local charging
area of the calling station. As above, the indicator should be reported
as the number of calls and/or minutes of traffic.
23. International telephone traffic
International traffic can be broken down by outgoing traffic
(effective (completed) traffic originating in a given country to
destinations outside that country) and incoming traffic (traffic
originating outside the country with a destination inside the country).
The indicator should be reported in number of calls and in minutes of
traffic. Bilateral traffic to particular countries should also be
reported (see Table 7). The treatment of paid versus free traffic and
collect and country direct services should be explained in a note.
Table 7: International bi-lateral telephone traffic
Outgoing/Calling
Incoming/Receiving
Country
Minutes
Calls
Minutes
Calls
Country 1
Country 2
Country 3
Country n
24. National telegrams
The number of charged telegrams which both originate and terminate
within the same country. Should be measured as the number of telegrams
rather than the number of words.
25. International outgoing telegrams
The number of charged outgoing full rate telegrams originating in a
given country with a destination outside the country. Should be measured
as the number of telegrams rather than the number of words.
26. National telex traffic
All the telex traffic which both originates and terminates within
the same country. Should be provided as number of messages and minutes.
27. International telex traffic
All the outgoing telex traffic originating in a given country with a
destination outside the country. If available, the total incoming telex
traffic terminating in a given country should also be reported. Should
be provided as number of messages and minutes.
Tariffs
All tariffs should be expressed in local currency at current prices.
A separate statement should be made concerning tax rates (e.g., sales
tax, value-added tax); whether tax is included or not, at what rate it
is levied and whether it can be reclaimed by businesses.
28. Telephone service installation charge
Installation refers to one-off charges involved in applying for
basic telephone service. Where there are different charges for different
exchange areas the charge for the largest urban area should be used and
specified in a note. Where there are different installation charges for
residential and business consumers or for first and subsequent lines,
these should be stated separately.
29. Telephone service monthly subscription charge
Monthly subscription refers to the recurring fixed charge for
subscribing to the PSTN. The charge should cover the rental of the line
but not the rental of the terminal (e.g., telephone set) where the
terminal equipment market is liberalized. Separate charges should be
stated where appropriate, for residential and business subscribers or
for first and subsequent lines. If the rental charge includes any
allowance for free or reduced rate call units this should be indicated.
If there are different charges for different exchange areas, the largest
urban area should be used and specified in a note.
30. Telephone service national call charges
National call charges can be separated by local and long distance
calls. Local calls should be provided as the cost of a peak rate
3-minute call within the same exchange area using the subscriber's own
terminal (i.e., not from a public telephone). In addition the costs of a
local call from a public pay telephone should be provided. See Table A-1
for an example of how long-distance calls within the country might be
provided.
31. Telephone service international call charges
This is the cost of a 3-minute direct dialled (i.e., without
operator intervention) call from a destination within the country to a
destination outside the country. The rate should be supplied for peak
rate time calls and off-peak (discount) rate calls (if applicable). The
cost should be reported in national currency, with a statement on what
taxes are applied. See Table A-2 for an example of how this data might
be provided.
32. Mobile communication charges
The connection charge and monthly subscription charge and call
charges by distance, duration and time of day/week, for mobile telephone
service. Separate information should be provided for analogue (e.g.,
TACS, NMT, AMPS)) and digital (e.g., GSM) services where applicable (see
Table A-1).
33. Leased line charges
Connection charge and monthly rental charge. Costs should be
specified for different speeds (e.g., 2.4, 4.8, 9.6, 19.2, 56/64 kbit/s
and 1.5/2.0 Mbit/s) and different distances (see Table A-3).
34. Packet-switched data communications network charges
Connection, monthly rental charge and call set-up charges for
packet-switched data communication (see Table A-4).
Staff
35. Total full-time staff in telecommunications services
Full-time staff employed by telecommunication network operators in
the country for the provision of public telecommunication services.
Part-time staff should be expressed in terms of full-time staff
equivalents. As far as possible, staff not working principally for the
provision of telecommunications services (e.g., those working in postal
services or broadcast operations) should be excluded. An indication of
the percentage of functions carried out by contractors could be
specified in a footnote.
Revenue and expenses
All items in this section should be reported in national currency at
current prices.
36. Total revenues from all telecommunications services
This is the total revenue earned and is the sum of items 32-40. This
should exclude revenues from non-telecommunications services. Revenue
(turnover) consists of telecommunications service earnings during the
financial year under review. Revenue should not include monies received
in respect of revenue earned during previous financial years, neither
does it include monies received by way of loans from governments, or
other external investors, nor monies received from repayable
subscribers' contributions or deposits.
37. Revenues from telephone connection charges
Revenue received for connection (installation) of telephone service.
This may include charges for transfer or cessation of service.
38. Revenues from telephone subscription charges
Revenues from recurring charges for subscription to PSTN including
equipment rentals.
39. Revenues from local and national calls
Revenues from local and national long distance telephone calls.
40. Revenues from international calls
Revenues for international telephone calls. This should include
charges received from subscribers for placing outgoing calls after
deduction of the share of this income to be paid to other organizations
for outgoing telecommunication traffic (operators of the incoming and
possibly transit countries) and after inclusion of income received from
foreign telephone operators for completing calls originating in a
foreign country. Inpayments and outpayments to foreign telecommunication
operators should be listed separately.
41. Revenues from telegram and telex services
Revenues for transmittal of telegraphic and telex messages, both
national and international.
42. Revenues from other data/text services
Revenues from the data and text services such as data communications
(e.g., packet switching) but not telegram or telex.
43. Revenue from leased lines
Revenues from the provision of leased lines (circuits).
44. Revenue from mobile communications services
Revenues from the provision of mobile communications services such
cellular, private trunked radio and radio paging. Revenue by each mobile
service should be listed separately.
45. Other revenues
Any other revenues not accounted for elsewhere for the provision of
telecommunication services. Responders should indicate in a note what
are the main sources of other telecommunications revenues.
46. Total current expenditure for all telecommunication services
Current expenditure means expenditure other than investments; it
consequently refers to the running of telecommunication services on an
annual basis. It is further sub-divided (see 42 to 46 below).
47. Operational expenditure
Operational expenditure would include:
salaries, benefits, etc. of operational staff, pensions, and other
labour costs,
materials for operations including rental of premises, office
supplies etc.,
research and development costs,
marketing and other sales expenses,
indirect, non-income taxes,
labour and material costs of maintenance and repair of the
existing telecommunications systems.
These items should be listed separately.
48. Interest
Interest refers to the financial year for loans associated with
fixed and current assets. The sum should be net, that is interest
payable by the operator on debts minus the any income gained from
investments. Interest received and paid should be listed separately.
49. Income taxes
Taxation refers to taxes on the operator's income, expenditure,
profit or capital (e.g., corporation tax, income tax) raised by central
or local government. This item does not include pay-related (e.g.,
social) taxes which should be incorporated under current expenditures.
50. Depreciation
Depreciation covers the expected devaluation of capital assets
insofar as this is regarded as an item of current expenditure. It covers
the financial charges made in the year for the loss of value of
installed equipment. It is normally calculated on hypotheses based on
the useful life of the different categories of equipment.
51. Other expenditures
Any other expenditures not connected with operation, depreciation,
interest or taxation. This might include for example, non-recurring
charges such as restructuring charges or adjustments due to accounting
changes.
Investment
The term investment means the expenditure associated with acquiring the
ownership of property (including intellectual and non-tangible property
such as computer software) and plant. These include expenditure on initial
installations and on additions to existing installations where the usage
is expected to be over an extended period of time. Also referred to as
capital expenditure.
52. Total annual investment in telecommunication including land and
buildings
The annual investment for acquiring property and plant.
53. Total annual investment in telecommunication excluding land and
buildings
The annual investment for acquiring plant (e.g., switching
equipment, transmission equipment, office machinery, motor vehicles) but
not including land or buildings.
54. Annual investment in telephone switching equipment.
The annual investment for telephone switching equipment such as
local, national (trunk) and international exchanges.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Department of Telecommunications. Various years. Indian
Telecommunication Statistics 1991. New Delhi. Useful example of
telecommunications indicator collection for large developing
country.
EUROSTAT. 1994. Telecommunication Indicators. Paper
distributed at the ICOBS/AS Working Group Meeting, 12-13 January 1994,
Luxembourg.
Federal Communications Commission. Various years. Statistics of
Communications Common Carriers. Washington D.C. Useful examples of
aggregation of data from many operating agencies.
International Monetary Fund. Various years. International
Financial Statistics. Washington D.C. Source of macro-economic
data.
ITU. Various years. Yearbook of Statistics. Geneva. Historical
raw data of public telecommunication sector for most countries and
territories.
----. Various years. Africa, Americas, Arab States, Asia-Pacific
and Europe Telecommunications Indicators. Geneva. Detailed regional
coverage with totals and averages.
----. 1994. World Telecommunication Development Report.
Geneva. World-wide comparisons.
----. 1994. Direction of Traffic. Geneva. International
traffic indicators.
----. 1993. Training Indicators for TTC. Fourth
Telecommunication Training Managers Meeting, Maputo, Mozambique, October
1993. Identification of telecommunication staff training indicators.
OECD. 1990. Performance Indicators for Public Telecommunication
Operators. Paris. Policy-oriented uses of performance
indicators.
OECD. 1993. Communications Outlook 1993. Paris.
Policy-oriented uses of performance indicators for OECD member
countries.
Statistics Canada. 1992. A Model Survey for the Telecommunication
Sector. In Voorburg Group, Statistics and Final Report, Seventh
Meeting on Service Statistics, Williamsburg, USA, October 1992.
UN Department of International Economic and Social Affairs. Various
years. Monthly Bulletin of Statistics. New York. Source of
population, consumer price index and exchange rate data.
World Bank. Various years. World Development Report.
Washington D.C. Demographic and macro-economic data.
-----. 1989. Performance Indicators for Telecommunication
Services. Telecommunication Technical Note 7. Washington D.C.
ANNEX A. TARIFF SCHEDULES
Table A-1: Sample table for providing national call charges
Charges for PSTN calls at 1 January
1992
Country:
Austria
Charges in local currency
Business
Residential
Fixed Charges
Installation
1200
1200
Rental (per month)
160
160
Free units included
0
0
Taxes
0%
0%
Comment:
No tax
Call Charge
Minimum charge per call
Charge per minute
Distance
3 km
0.80
0.67
7 km
0.80
0.67
12 km
0.80
0.67
17 km
0.80
0.67
22 km
0.80
0.67
27 km
0.80
4.00
40 km
0.80
4.00
75 km
0.80
4.00
110 km
0.80
6.00
135 km
0.80
6.00
175 km
0.80
6.00
250 km
0.80
6.00
350 km
0.80
6.00
490 km
0.80
6.00
cont.
Discounts by time of day or week (as
percentage of peak rate)
Mon-Fri
Mon-Fri
Mon-Fri
Mon-Fri
Sat
Sun
11:00
15:00
20:00
03:00
11:00
13:00
Distances
3,7 km
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
12 km
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
17 km
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
22 km
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
27 km
100%
100%
67%
67%
67%
67%
40 km
100%
100%
67%
67%
67%
67%
75 km
100%
100%
67%
67%
67%
67%
110, 135, 175 km
100%
100%
67%
67%
67%
67%
250km+
100%
100%
67%
67%
67%
67%
Note: The same basic tariff information can be used for the
business, residential and mobile communications baskets.
Table A-2: Sample table for providing international call charges
(3 minute direct-dialled call in local currency and including any
taxes)
Standard/Peak rate
Economy/Discount rate
Country 1
Country 2
Country 3
Country n
Table A-3: Sample table for leased line charges
Charges for leased lines at 1 January
1992
Country:
Australia
Charges in local currency
Tax:
0%
Comment:
No tax
Connection charge:
Distance
Capacity
2 km
20 km
50 km
100 km
200 km
9.6 kbit/s
440.00
440.00
645.00
645.00
645.00
56/64 kbit/s
3000.00
3000.00
3000.00
3000.00
3000.00
1.5/2.0 Mbit/s
5028.00
5028.00
5028.00
5028.00
5028.00
Rental per line per month
Distance
Capacity
2 km
20 km
50 km
100 km
200 km
9.6 kbit/s
74.00
225.50
412.50
450.00
525.00
56/64 kbit/s
216.00
303.00
498.00
773.00
782.00
1.5/2.0 Mbit/s
1729.00
3421.00
4962.00
6221.00
7542.00
Table A-4: Sample table for packet-switch (X.25) data
communications
Charges for X.25 Packet Switched data
communications at 1 January 1992
Country:
Australia
Charges in local
currency
Connection charge:
1275.00
Rental Charge:
686.00
Tax:
0%
Comment:
No tax
Local
Long distance
Call set-up charge
0.00
0.00
Charges per segment
Local
Longdistance
Peak rate
0.0012
0.0012
Discount (cheapest)
0.00012
0.00012
Cost per minute
Local
Long distance
Peak rate
0.0063
0.0063
Discount (cheapest)
0.00063
0.00063
ANNEX B. TELEVISION BROADCASTING DEFINITIONS
Television receivers
The total number of television sets in use. Some countries have a
licensing scheme where television sets must be registered. Since
households may have more than one television receiver or may not register,
the number of licensed receivers may understate the true number.
Television households
The number of households that have television receivers. This is not
the same as the number of television receivers since households can have
more than one receiver and other entities besides households may have
receivers (e.g., businesses). Comparable to television licenses as long as
there is not widespread avoidance of the licensing scheme.
Homes passed by cable television
The number of homes wired for cable television regardless of whether
the occupants are subscribing.
Cable television households / subscribers
The number of cable television subscribers. If countries include
Microwave Multi-point Distribution systems (MMDS) or Satellite Master
Antenna Television (SMATV) connections this should be explained in a
footnote.
Direct to Home satellite antennas
The number of home satellite antennas that can receive television
broadcasting directly from satellites.
Multichannel homes
Equal to the number of cable television subscribers plus the number of
DTH antennas.
Table B-1: Television broadcasting indicators, Switzerland, 1993
Indicator
Note
1993
Population
6'796'840
Households
3'386'000
Television receivers (estimated)
1
2'800'000
Television households (licenses) (TV HH)
2
2'551'244
Television receivers (estimated) per 100
inhabitants
