Americans will come to depend on the superhighway even more than they need the telephone. The guarantee of universal telephone service must be expanded to include universal access to the superhighway. Although market forces will help keep the new technology affordable, we need laws to protect consumers when competition fails.
Predictor: Kapor, Mitchell
Prediction, in context:In a 1991 article for Scientific American, Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder Mitchell Kapor and Jerry Berman state: ”Americans will come to depend on the superhighway even more than they need the telephone. The guarantee of universal telephone service must be expanded to include universal access to the superhighway. Although market forces will help keep the new technology affordable, we need laws to protect consumers when competition fails.”
Biography:Mitchell Kapor founded the Lotus Development Corporation and also founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation with WELL (Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link) members John Perry Barlow and John Gilmore in 1990 in direct response to a threat to free speech. He was an outspoken supporter of open access to the Internet, and was asked to speak in many venues about the issue, including Congressional hearings. (Pioneer/Originator.)
Date of prediction: November 1, 1993
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Universal Service
Name of publication: New York Times
Title, headline, chapter name: A Superhighway Through the Wasteland?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.eff.org/Publications/Mitch_Kapor/nii_kapor_berman_eff_nyt.article
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney