Dispersion of waves propagated at frequencies near the ion cyclotron frequency in collision‐dominated plasmas subjected to axial magnetic fields is investigated. Radial and axial propagation constants, satisfying Maxwell's equations, and including the contributions of binary elastic ion‐ion and ion‐electron interparticle forces to an ion conductivity tensor, are calculated. Elements of the ion conductivity tensor are found analytically by expressing the ion distribution function in the Boltzmann equation as a series of orthogonal Laguerre polynomials in velocity space with time‐dependent expansion coefficients. Right‐handed and left‐handed elliptically polarized waves are found from a numerical solution for a range of values of the ion cyclotron frequency about the fixed wave frequency of 7.62 Mc. The axial wavelengths &lgr;zL, &lgr;zR, and damping lengths &lgr;DL, &lgr;DRare calculated as functions of the magnetic field for a plasma density of 1021m−3, and temperature of 104, 105and 106°K. Enhanced dispersion occurs with increasing temperature. Stronger dispersion is associated with the left‐handed elliptically polarized wave; for 105° and 106°K, above resonance &lgr;DL≫ &lgr;zL, whereas below &lgr;DL≈ &lgr;zL. Ion‐ion collisions broaden the resonance width and decrease absorption at resonance.