In February 1993, the Information Infrastructure Task Force (IITF) was formed to articulate and implement the Clinton Administration's vision for the National Information Infrastructure (NII). The Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights was established within the Information Policy Committee to examine the intellectual property implications…

Describes the nature and operations of Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN). Argues that while Western European nations have advanced centralized planning for the introduction of ISDN, the United States is proceeding slowly because of a lack of universal standards and the state of deregulatory policy. (MM)

This report describes the High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) initiative of the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology. This program is supportive of and coordinated with the National Information Infrastructure Initiative. Now halfway through its 5-year effort, the HPCC program counts among its…

Examines various approaches to establishing nationally available videotext systems, in which text and graphics are offered to a mass audience on television screens with keypad converters. Asserts that a successful approach creates a hybrid between the competitive approach found in the United States and a state-encouraged system. (MM)

An interconnection of computer networks, telecommunications services, and applications, the National Information Infrastructure (NII) can open up new vistas and profoundly change much of American life. This report explores some of the opportunities and obstacles to the use of the NII by people and organizations. The goal is to express how…

In 1991 the Federal Government initiated the multiagency High Performance Computing and Communications program (HPCC) to further the development of U.S. supercomputer technology and high-speed computer network technology. This overview by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concentrates on obstacles that might prevent the growth of the…

Compares issues in the commercialization of public information through wide area networks in the United States and Europe. Policy and legal questions, the public's right to access information, government copyright issues, the potential for public-private-sector synergy, and the need to standardize formats and pricing are discussed. (Contains 45…

The use of information networks for business and government is expanding enormously. Government use of networks features prominently in plans to make government more efficient, effective, and responsive. But the transformation brought about by the networking also raises new concerns for the security and privacy of networked information. This…

In this report, the National Information Infrastructure (NII) services issue is addressed, and activities to advance the development of NII services are recommended. The NII is envisioned to grow into a seamless web of communications networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will put vast amounts of information at users'…

Struggles over educational access to new communications technologies in the age of U.S. radio and television provide insights into current struggles of educational access to the "information superhighway." Findings from an historical analysis of these earlier periods show that educational access to new communications technologies is…

Although it has been widely recognized that the United States has moved into the Information Age, the federal government has been slow to establish a single mechanism to coordinate the many facets of the Information Age. The Special Libraries Association (SLA) proposes the establishment of a National Academy of Information to ensure government and…

This report, published in its entirety (OTA-TCT-578) and in a summary form (OTA-TCT-579) containing only the first chapter of the complete report, focuses on key topics and issues that are central to the successful use of electronic delivery by government. The review conducted by the Office of Technology Assessment concludes that the movement…

This report examines the issues related to the formation of an integrated National Information Infrastructure (NII) from the perspectives of the education and research communities. The report presents a vision of the future for the NII based on an Open Data Network (ODN). The report begins by examining the background and the visions for the future…

The National Information Infrastructure (NII) is planned as a web of communications networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will put vast amounts of information at the users' fingertips. Private sector firms are beginning to develop this infrastructure, but essential roles remain for the Federal Government. The National…

This report contains summaries of papers presented at the annual forum of the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) of the Library of Congress. Introductory and special remarks were delivered by FLICC Executive Director Mary Berghaus Levering, Associate Librarian for Constituent Services of the Library of Congress Donald C.…