While overall U.S. telecommunications revenue gained slightly from 2003 to 2004, wireless income grew much more rapidly than other forms of telephony, according to a new FCC study issued today.

The industry reported $292 billion in telecom service income in 2004, compared with $291 billion in 2003—a growth rate of about one third of one percent.

But some sectors of the telecommunications industry significantly outpaced others.

Wireless industry revenue increased by 10%, or $90 to $99 billion dollars. Meanwhile toll service revenue dropped by 8 percent, from $77 to $71 billion.

The report calls these figures "consistent with recent trends."

In 1997 wireless service providers took in $30.2 billion in revenue; in the first quarter of 2004 they took in $90.4 billion, a growth rate over seven years of nearly two hundred percent.

Meanwhile toll service revenue since 1997 has dropped from $89.2 billion that year down to $55.5 in 2004.

Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) enjoyed a 6 percent increase in revenue between 2003 and 2004, while larger Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers [ILECs] saw a drop in income of 4 percent.

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