International phone calls up 12% in 2008

Cross-border telephone traffic grew 14% in 2007 and is estimated to have grown 12% in 2008, to 384 billion minutes. Due to declining call prices, however, revenues have largely been flat. While international telephone traffic is increasing at a modest pace, Skype’s international traffic has soared: TeleGeography estimates that Skype’s cross-border traffic grew approximately 41% in 2008, to 33 billion minutes, equivalent to 8% of combined international telephone traffic, TeleGeography says.