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The ICT sector is that part of the economy which produces information and communication technology goods and services. It includes businesses involved in telecommunication services, computer services, and selected manufacturing and wholesale trade industries. The ICT sector overlaps with the Communication Services Division discussed earlier.

Table 23.8 provides statistics for a selection of industries considered to be the prominent contributors to the production and distribution of ICT goods and services. At June 2003 there were 23,950 ICT specialist businesses in the industries surveyed, with 18,524 (77%) of these in the computer consultancy services industry. ICT specialists are those businesses for which the income from the sale, distribution and provision of ICT goods and services forms the greater part of the total income of the business.

There were 235,696 persons working in ICT specialist businesses at the end of June 2003, with 99,574 (42%) working in the computer consultancy services industry and 67,750 (29%) working in the telecommunication services industry.

During 2002-03 total income of ICT specialist businesses was $79,894m, with the main contributions towards this coming from the telecommunication services industry ($31,796m or 40%), computer wholesaling industry ($17,338m or 22%) and computer consultancy services industry ($15,935m or 20%).

ICT specialist businesses generated a total operating profit before tax of $6,393m during 2002-03, with the majority ($4,766m or 75%) coming from the telecommunication services industry.

23.8 INDUSTRIES IN THE ICT SECTOR(a), Summary of operations - 2002-03
		Businesses at end June	Employment at end June	ICT income	Total income	Total expenses	Operating profit before tax
Industry		no.	no.	$m	$m	$m	$m
Manufacturing
	Computer and business machines	233	2,210	808	826	759	46
	Telecommunication, broadcasting and transceiving equipment	^89	4,526	891	937	877	(b)n.p.
	Electronic equipment n.e.c.	252	3,403	627	658	625	^33
	Electric cable and wire	^27	699	199	222	216	(b)n.p.
	Total	602	10,838	2,525	2,642	2,477	108
Wholesale trade
	Computers	1,831	29,016	16,625	17,338	16,919	553
	Business machines	447	6,749	1,625	2,283	2,182	96
	Electrical and electronic equipment n.e.c.	807	14,249	7,938	8,842	8,546	^250
	Total	3,085	50,013	26,188	28,463	27,647	899
Telecommunication services		956	67,750	29,862	31,796	26,955	4,766
Computer services
	Data processing	^204	^1,619	^168	^175	^165	*10
	Information storage and retrieval	^58	932	210	212	207	(b)n.p.
	Computer maintenance	521	4,970	639	671	662	(b)n.p.
	Computer consultancy	18,524	99,574	15,099	15,935	15,309	^586
	Total	19,307	107,094	16,116	16,993	16,343	^620
Total		23,950	235,696	74,692	79,894	73,421	6,393
(a) The data relates to ICT specialist businesses within the industries in the ICT sector. (b) Not published separately, included in total. Source: Information Technology, Australia, 2002-03 (8126.0).

23.9 ICT GOODS AND SERVICES, Production, imports and exports - 2002-03
	Income from domestic production	Imports (custom value)	Exports (f.o.b.)(a)	Re-exports (f.o.b.)
Commodity	$m	$m	$m	$m
Computer and communications hardware, equipment and cables	2,934	12,293	2,329	1,373
Packaged software and associated licensing	538	507	163	5
Computer services	15,975	929	1,071	n.a.
Telecommunication services	29,332	1,407	1,083	n.a.
Total	48,779	15,136	4,646	1,379
(a) Exports include exports of Australian commodities and re-exports of goods of foreign origin. Source: Information Technology, Australia, 2002-03 (8126.0).