Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services

3. Communications services 
3.87. The 
present 
Manual
recommends that the BPM5 
component 
communications services
be further 
disaggregated into two sub-components––first, 
postal 
and courier services,
and second, 
telecommunications 
services
.
3.88. 
Postal and courier services 
covers the pick-up, 
transport and delivery of letters, newspapers, periodicals, 
brochures, other printed matter, parcels and packages, 
including post office counter and mailbox rental 
services.
3.89. Within this component, postal services also 
include 
poste restante
services, telegram services and 
post office counter services, such as sales of stamps, 
money orders etc. Postal services are often, but not 
exclusively, supplied by national postal administrations. 
Excluded are financial services rendered by postal 
administration entities, such as 
postal giro
, banking and 
savings account services (recorded under 
financial 
services
), and mail preparation services (recorded under 
other business services, other
). Postal services are 
subject to international agreements, and the flows 
between operators of different economies should be 
recorded on a gross basis. 
3.90. Also within this component, courier services 
focus on express and door-to-door delivery. Couriers 
may use self-owned, privately shared or public 
transportation to carry out these services. Included are 
express delivery services, which might include, for 
example, on-demand pick-up or time-definite delivery. 
Excluded are, for example, the movement of mail 
carried by air transportation enterprises (recorded under 
transportation, air, freight
), storage of goods (recorded 
under 
transportation, other, auxiliary and supporting 
services
), and mail preparation services (recorded under 
other business services, other
).
3.91.