The infobahn will not be an ancillary service, but will be central to how Americans work, learn, and communicate. It is precisely because of this centrality that we need to talk about universal service – what it should be, what it should not be, and how we can achieve it. For without a thoughtful universal-service policy, cyberspace could well end up as alien and cost-prohibitive to the general public as venturing out of town was during the reign of medieval highway robbers.
Predictor: Glaser, Rob
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 essay for Wired magazine, Rob Glaser, founder and president of Progressive Networks Inc., discusses the prospect of universal network service, available to all people. Glaser writes: ”The infobahn will not be an ancillary service, but will be central to how Americans work, learn, and communicate. It is precisely because of this centrality that we need to talk about universal service – what it should be, what it should not be, and how we can achieve it. For without a thoughtful universal-service policy, cyberspace could well end up as alien and cost-prohibitive to the general public as venturing out of town was during the reign of medieval highway robbers.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Digital Divide
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Universal Service Does Matter: Not Because You’re a Bleeding Heart, but Because You’re Selfish
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.01/glaser.if_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney