Patterns of interdependence: Telecommunications in Western Europe

An examination of the telecommunications transactions of selected countries of the European Community (the Six) is undertaken to determine the existence and level of societal interdependence in Western Europe. Relying on data from 1952 to 1976, the author finds that the absolute level of telecommunications transactions has generally increased within the European Community (EC). The percentage share of the international transactions of the EC states which has remained within the EC, however, has come to a peak‐generally in the 1960's or early 1970's‐and subsequently declined. Thus, while the internal or regional interdependence of the EC has been generally increasing, its external or global interdependence has also been increasing, with the latter trend occurring recently at a faster rate.