Elon University
The prediction, in brief:

The only thing that will prevent the FCC from rising like a Red Tape Phoenix in the highly noisy Net scenario will be voluntary cooperation among Net users and businesses to keep the noise levels down.

Predictor: Rose, Lance

Prediction, in context:

In a 1995 essay for ISPworld, Internet law expert Lance Rose comments about the expected crush of newbies on the Net and how they will influence Internet activity. Calling the crush “noise,” Rose writes: ”Don’t look now, but here comes a new rationale for heavy government regulation of the public Net: keeping public bandwidth wide and usable amidst all the net-noise to come. Actually, it’s the same old rationale that gave rise to the Federal Communications Commission in the 1930s, when it was claimed bandwidth allocation by the government was necessary to keep broadcasters from cancelling each other out on the same radio frequencies … The only thing that will prevent the FCC from rising like a Red Tape Phoenix in the highly noisy Net scenario will be voluntary cooperation among Net users and businesses to keep the noise levels down.”

Biography:

Lance Rose, a lawyer, earned a high profile for his expertise in Internet issues in the 1990s. He wrote “Netlaw: Your Rights in the Online World” (1995). (Legislator/Politician/Lawyer.)

Date of prediction: January 1, 1995

Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure

Subtopic: Role of Govt./Industry

Name of publication: ISPworld

Title, headline, chapter name: Legally Online: Noise and the Public Net

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.boardwatch.com/boardwatchOnline/1995/jan95/bwm44.htm

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney