The biggest threat to unmetered Internet access can be express in one phrase: “Free International Long-Distance Telephone.” It is now possible with software to have an almost real-time voice conversation over the Internet. This has the potential of putting a huge amount of new traffic on the Net and of competing with the phone companies that own much of the Net.
Predictor: Kadie, Carl
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 article for The Guardian, a London-based newspaper, technology commentator Mike Holderness quotes Internet commentator Carl Kadie. Holderness writes: ”As regular Net-commentator Carl Kadie says, ‘I think the biggest threat to unmetered Internet access can be express in one phrase: “Free International Long-Distance Telephone.” It is now possible with software to have an almost real-time voice conversation over the Internet. This has the potential of putting a huge amount of new traffic on the Net and of competing with the phone companies that own much of the Net.'”
Date of prediction: June 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Communication
Subtopic: Internet Telephony
Name of publication: Guardian (London)
Title, headline, chapter name: High Anxiety for Hitchhikers on the Infobahn: Just as Millions Outside the Groves of Academe Discover the Joys of Essentially Free Global Communications on the Internet, it’s All Changing
Quote Type: Paraphrase
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.poptel.org.uk/nuj/mike/articles/gdn-netb.htm
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney