TELECOMMUNICATIONS

* The Federal Communications Commission proposed procedures to make it easier for Americans with mobile satellite phones to take them into other countries and vice versa. The plan would allow a U.S. company to win approval for its equipment without also having to get similar approvals from countries where the phones would be used. The number of mobile-telephone customers in the United States grew 25% to 55 million in 1997 from the previous year, the FCC said in a report to Congress. It also said competition in the mobile-phone market is growing, particularly in the paging industry.