It is critical that electronic mail be a basic service in a National Information Infrastructure. To the extent that public policy guides the evolution of the U.S. NII, it should consider universal access to e-mail as a cornerstone of that policy. Specifically, one-way information-providing technologies – whether broadcasting systems or technologies that provide only search and retrieval – are inadequate. Two-way technologies supporting interactive use and dissemination by all users are key. And everyone should be able to participate.
Predictor: Anderson, Robert H.
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 research paper published for the RAND Publications Database, Robert H. Anderson, Tora K. Bikson, Sally Ann Law, Bridger M. Mitchell, Christopher Kedzie, Brent Keltner, Constantijn Panis, Joel Pliskin, Padmanabhan Srinagesh write about the feasibility of universal access to e-mail: ”Use of electronic mail is valuable for individuals, for communities, for the practice and spread of democracy, and for the general development of a viable National Information Infrastructure (NII). Consequently, the nation should support universal access to e-mail through appropriate public and private policies. The goal of achieving universal access has two main subgoals: (1) achieving interconnectivity among separate e-mail systems, and (2) widespread accessibility of individuals to some e-mail system. Universal connectivity among systems appears to be occurring through market forces, although the portability of e-mail addresses and current regulations that distort the prices among potentially competitive communication offerings are likely to remain issues. Individuals’ accessibility to e-mail is hampered by increasing income, education, and racial gaps in the availability of computers and access to network services. Some policy remedies appear to be required. These include creative ways to make terminals cheaper; to have them recycled; to provide access in libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and to provide e-mail “vouchers” or support other forms of cross-subsidies … It is critical that electronic mail be a basic service in a National Information Infrastructure. To the extent that public policy guides the evolution of the U.S. NII, it should consider universal access to e-mail as a cornerstone of that policy. Specifically, one-way information-providing technologies – whether broadcasting systems or technologies that provide only search and retrieval – are inadequate. Two-way technologies supporting interactive use and dissemination by all users are key. And everyone should be able to participate: It is important to reduce the increasing gaps in access to basic electronic information system services, specifically, access to electronic mail services. Implementation of such policies should begin as soon as possible, since it will undoubtedly take as much as a decade before full implementation is accomplished, no matter what strategy is envisioned. We recommend that the gaps that are greatest now and that are still widening be addressed first. Specifically, these are deficits in access to computers and electronic networks found in the low-income and low-education segments of the population.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Communication
Subtopic: E-mail
Name of publication: Rand Publications Database
Title, headline, chapter name: Universal Access to E-mail: Feasibility and Societal Implications
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR650/sum.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney