No catalogs or
directories - the credible incompetents will be even
more elusive; skills for independent analysis, evaluation,
and testing for reliability are urgently needed.
Australia ("Access,
Communication and Community").
United States (U.S.
Web-based Education Commission Report of December, 2000, and
the U.S. National Information Infrastructure).
Europe (Bangemann
Report: "Europe and the Global Information Society"). Also,
article reporting (Dec 96) how European cities were
subsequently rising to the "Bangemann Challenge." Also
article 6 Jan 1997 on British proposal to make wholesale
shift to providing government services on-line.
Denmark ("From Vision to Action
- Info-Society 2000").
Notes and Bibliography
(including links to documents cited in this planning document
and links to selected other documents [Note
9] significant to Information Technology and
Telecommunications planning). [Note 99]
contains some miscellaneous notes related to
Telecommunications Strategic Planning. These items may provide
useful information for some participants during the planning
processes.
Irish national strategy
papers - some very good and highly readable strategy
papers on what the nation should be doing to prepare its
people for the digital age.
"Critical Foundations: Thinking
Differently," a report of The U.S. President's
Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection. The report
deals with measures needed to protect against the cyber tools
available to terrorists and other threats to national
security.
This page describes some of the background for strategic planning
for information technology and telecommunications: exploiting global
information exchange in the 1990s and beyond. It originally looked
at questions from a civic government point of view; but it applies
to individuals and institutions of all sorts.
It anticipates a planning process for the community as a whole.
It contemplates advancing the understanding that this is a
survival issue for all individuals and all institutions, and
assisting with the question: "how do we encourage the community to
be excited about becoming "wired" for the Information Age before it is too
late?"
Strategic
Planning for Information
Technology and Telecommunications:
Exploiting Global Information Exchange in the 1990s and Beyond.
Background and Context
As very significant amounts of data and information are increasingly
being developed and exchanged by individuals, businesses and
governments, a strategic view of its importance is becoming
necessary. Both the amount of data and the speed with which it can
be moved have the potential to overtake those who are not now
preparing to participate in and exploit its use. As we switched from
an agricultural society to an industrialized society, we had
somewhere between 100 and 200 years. In this century alone (and
mainly in the last half) we have seen infrastructure and technology
developments which have profoundly affected our circumstances.
the National proliferation of conventional and nuclear
electric power and telephone services,
the emergence of network broadcast radio and television
services, and
the internal combustion engine, the automobile and the
Interstate highway system, to name only a few.
Other technologies (all developed in the last 50 years) have
revolutionized our ways of thinking and living. The jet engine,
supersonic flight, rocket propulsion, space travel and satellites
come to mind, along with the defeat of many communicable diseases,
the use of ultrasound, heart surgery and organ transplants. The
development of the transistor, the microwave oven, digital watches
and calculators, lasers and, of course, the advent of nuclear
armament have also occurred during that time. The office copier,
facsimile machine and the cellular telephone come to mind in
communications; credit cards, automatic teller machines and
electronic data interchange come to mind in the conduct of commerce.
But the development of the general-purpose stored-program
computer may have been the most significant development of the
period.
As the 21st century dawns, fundamental structural changes are
becoming apparent in the way business is conducted in the
developed world, in the workings of their markets and economies,
and in society generally. These changes (and their unexpected
boost to productivity) are attributable to the digitization and
rapid, widespread creation, manipulation and exchange of
knowledge, information and transactions. Together with increasing
speeds and decreasing costs, they produce disruptive (sometimes
near chaotic) changes in the value chains and business models in
which we operate. This occurs because these are new tools for
thinking, not just new tools for production (as we might view the
electric motor, or mass production, for example). These new
thinking tools can be applied to all of commerce, to all of
recreation, to all of learning, indeed to all of life and society.
This scope substantially exceeds any measure of the scope of the
industrial revolution.
In February, 2000, the Berkeley Roundtable on the International
Economy (BRIE) posted among their publications, "Tools for
Thought: What is New and Important About the E-conomy?" by Stephen
S. Cohen, J. Bradford DeLong and John Zysman. In this excellent,
though longish paper, Cohen et al make some interesting points:
"The [revolution in information] technology story is
underpinned, and measured, by the doubling of semiconductor
capability and productivity every- eighteen-months -- a
rate that has carried us from the room-sized vacuum-tube
computers to the modern Internet -- and by the complementary
surge in the capacity of the communications network to transmit
digital information."
"Changes in business organization and practice are the second
driver of this transformation. The E- conomy is as much a story
about changes in business organization, market structures,
government regulations, and human experience as it is about new
technology. ... Taken together, the business innovations
represent a new business ecology that includes a prominent
role for venture capital, the start-up, the spinoff, and new
option-based ways of compensating skilled workers and
entrepreneurs -- innovations that have unleashed a
tsunami wave of new business and new technology."
"But the economic transformation is not about soft landings,
smooth growth, permanently rising stock prices, government
surpluses, and low rates of interest and inflation. It is about
structural transformation and developments that carry disruption
and change. The policy issues are moving rapidly from the
narrowly technical through the narrowly legal into fundamental
questions of how to organize our markets and society. Under the
best of circumstances, the risks of policy making are high."
"Information technology builds tools to manipulate, organize,
transmit, and store information in digital form. It
amplifies brainpower in a way analogous to that in which
the nineteenth century Industrial Revolution's technology of
steam engines, metallurgy and giant power tools multiplied
muscle power."
"Information technology builds the most all-purpose tools
ever, tools for thought. The capabilities created to
process and distribute digital data multiply the scale and speed
with which thought and information can be applied. And
thought and information can be applied to almost everything,
almost everywhere, [almost anytime]."
In large part because of the computer's development, the switch from
an industrialized society to an information society is now well
underway, even though the very first computers were only unveiled a
scant 50 years ago. Barely 25 years ago in 1970, there were only
about 50,000 computers in existence world-wide. In 1990, after a
remarkable period of growth, 50,000 computers were being sold every
business day. And in 1995, that same number of computers were being
manufactured and sold on average every 10 hours of each day of the
year. The advent of the Personal Computer (PC) reduced the cost of
computing power to some fraction of what it had been in the prior 35
years. When IBM picked a non- proprietary processor for their PC in
1980, the cost of computing took another precipitous plunge. Today
costs continue to decline, even as processing speeds continue to
increase.
Although many have thought of the computer mainly as an arithmetic
engine or as a data transaction processor, its role as a
communication device in accessing and moving data has now surpassed
both of them in its importance to humanity (see Note
15 on speeds of networked PCs). This instantaneous world-wide
movement of, and easy access to these very large volumes of data,
together have informed and democratized human society in
unprecedented ways. These abilities have been variously
characterized as "Inter-networking", the "Information Revolution,"
the "Information Superhighway," the "Digital Revolution," the
foundation of the "Information Society" and so on. There is no
universal definition of the Information Age, but it
contains the following components:
Instantaneous global exchange of large amounts of
information (text, images and sounds).
Provision of services through application of this
exchanged information (either by collecting information, adding
to it, distributing it, or a combination), such as news
services, online chat and gaming groups, weblogs (blogs),
social networking sites, and many others.
The Pew Research
Center’s Internet & American Life Project has
posted a report Social networking sites and our lives
(pdf): How people’s trust, personal relationships, and
civic and political involvement are connected to their use
of social networking sites and other technologies (June
2011). The report, authored by Keith N. Hampton and Lauren
Sessions Goulet of University of Pennsylvania and Lee Rainie
and Kristen Purcell, of the Pew Internet Project, seek to
answer questions "about the social impact of widespread use
of social networking sites (SNS) like Facebook, LinkedIn,
MySpace, and Twitter. Do these technologies isolate people
and truncate their relationships? Or are there benefits
associated with being connected to others in this way? The Pew Research
Center’s Internet & American Life Project decided
to examine SNS in a survey that explored people’s overall
social networks and how use of these technologies is related
to trust, tolerance, social support, and community and
political engagement." The Summary of findings is only three
pages, and is a quick, informative read.
A natural tendency among users to copy and re-distribute,
often without context, confirmation or attribution, sometimes
with less-than-friendly intent, and virtually never with
notification to originators.
The use of a variety of so-called carriers: copper
wire, coaxial cable, microwaves, radio frequencies, satellite
transponders, optical fibers.
The use of a large variety of devices: print media,
broadcasting, cable TV, library archives, desk-top computers and
printers, telephones, facsimile machines, scanners, cameras,
compact disks, pagers, cellular phones, electronic data
interchange, mobile telecommunications, the Internet, wide-area
and local-area computer networks, electronic bulletin boards,
e-mail, mailing lists, newsgroups, on-line forums, conferences
and chat lines, weblogs or blogs, social networking sites, bulk
file transfers, and the World-Wide Web with Internet- enabled
wireless devices of all sorts.
The Information Age also has the following attributes
(each amplified below):
The potential to revolutionize
like nothing else we have ever seen or read about in history.
Global communities of
interest [Note 13] have been assembled
through use of mailing lists, electronic bulletin boards, Internet
Newsgroups, blogs, social networking sites, and through other
on-line forums, chat groups and gaming sites. Traditional
communities of proximity are augmented by these communities of
interest, where hobbies, medical conditions, professions, athletic
and sporting events, automobiles, movie and video heroes, gossip,
social and political commentary, and virtually any other interest
are discussed and debated with world-wide perspective and
participation. A posting in an Internet Newsgroup, or social
networking site, for example, may be read by tens or even hundreds
of thousands of individuals from among the 100 million or so
Internet subscribers, sometimes within a few hours. These
communities of interest are formed substantially without regard to
geographic proximity or political boundaries. And in the foreseeable
future, if costs continue to decline and accessibility continues to
expand, the only limits will be the levels of interest themselves.
The associations thus formed are without precedent for humankind,
and promise great potential for cooperative problem-solving, skill
exchange and unified action. Communities of interest may be long-
term or short-term as associations are formed to meet particular
needs, and dissolved when no longer pertinent. Dynamic or roving
communities of interest are formed around systems like Third Voice
(now gone) and Google, which enable subscribers to post chat notes,
or spawn spontaneous chat groups based on common websites visited.
The point here is that traditional communities, formed by proximity
to employment, will become communities of choice as increasing
numbers of people relocate near centers of recreational, family or
creative interest rather than near centers of employment.
Increasingly, telecommuting will be an enabler favoring both
desirable employment options and desirable living locations.
The exchange of
e-mail messages, participation in blogs and social networking
sites, use of gaming sites, mailing lists, bulletin boards and
newsgroups, and the browsing of information on the World-Wide Web
stimulates intellectual interaction unlike any that
humankind has seen to date. Print and broadcast media have
traditionally provided a degree of one-to-many intellectual transfer,
but very little interactivity. Because of their large and
relatively heterogeneous audiences, and because of the financial
requirement to please larger and larger audiences, only relatively
low levels of intellectual sophistication have been reached
(witness reality TV). There are also many, who, by nature are not
skilled participators in traditional social interaction. Some of
these will emerge as significant participators or even leaders in
these associations of intellectual interaction. When these
abilities for intellectual interaction are carried out in
communities of interest which are very specialized (but can
contain a great many of those like-minded people from across the
globe) the potential for creativity and problem solution rises
substantially above what is otherwise attainable. In the
foreseeable future, it may be possible to form a community of
virtually all the persons on the planet who share a common
intellectual interest. Global learning and understanding could be
profoundly affected by the debates, conclusions and actions of
such a community.
The speedwith which
communication can be exchanged using electronic media is also very
significant. By some measures (even among those who correspond
regularly using traditional media), communication increases when
e-mail is available. In the professions, clear evidence exists to
indicate that when a response to an electronic mail query can be
in hand within minutes of the query being posed, problem-solving
is enhanced considerably. It also results in more frequent
exchange of views between its practitioners, presumably because of
its convenience. Thus, when information is published, it can
contain more current content along with the results of greater
collaboration and evidence of a more comprehensive world-wide
view. Learning and understanding are significantly improved for
everyone under such circumstances.
There is a caveat to
this speed attribute, however. There is no shortage of
technologies whose benefits can be gained as soon as (or whenever)
the technologies are adopted. In the case of the Information
Revolution, however, there is a significant strategic
competitive component that will be seized by those who take
advantage of it first. Those who seize it later will have
advantage of those competitive components which have not already
been monopolized by others. An information society requires the
ability to handle large quantities of information in many work
assignments. Widespread use of information will therefore become
an important factor in retaining economic growth and employment
levels. In government, we need to be cognizant of the significant
impairment of our citizens which will result if our constituency
is kept out or left out of this revolution. Our schools, in
particular, need to be aware of the significant competitive
advantage that can be seized by graduates who have gained the
skills and who are familiar with the tools and techniques of the Information Age. At a time when an
increasing proportion of the world's enterprises can be conducted
at the end of a suitable phone line anywhere in the world,
governments at all levels need to adopt policies that put their
constituencies in a position to compete with anybody, anywhere in
the world, at any time.
The relatively small costs
of improving information infrastructure (less costly than roads or
utility infrastructure) make it attractive financially, especially
when considered in terms of its considerable benefits. The rapidly
falling costs and rapidly evolving changes of the Information Age also add urgency to
the need for action. Not many of the elements of cost in
government services are declining. We need to take advantage of
these areas where costs are declining in order to contain overall
costs of service delivery. In spite of these promises, most
government budgets are very constrained. Allocations may still
need to be moved from other less productive or more costly uses to
those with greater promise. We also need to take full advantage of
world-wide inter-networking to seek out and obtain the best ideas
and the most imaginative innovations of our counterparts from all
over the world. We will only be able to cope with and take
advantage of the increasing pace of change (and the increasing
discontinuities of these changes) if we use the very best
available ideas from the most forward- thinking persons in every
aspect of our work. We will need to adopt a deliberate,
well-informed strategic integration of telecommunications policy
with other policies and strategies in order to be sure we gain an
equitable balance of its considerable benefits (both for the
delivery of government services, and for the work, education and
recreation of those in the community).
The global
exchanges of ideas (which the Internet and other world-wide
communication means are providing) are substantially spontaneous
and without any central management or coordination. It is
a virtual "free-for-all" in the best (and worst) sense. It is
vaguely reminiscent of our capital markets, only without the
benefits of much slower growth and years of regulation. As one
anxious observer is reported to have said (somewhat aghast),
"everybody does just as they please!"
Traditionally, we are familiar
with systems in which a few authoritative information providers
and their editors confirm and challenge and verify (and often
catalog) before publication. The free expression modes of
the Information Age have none of
these in the same degree of predictability or reliability. Some of
the persons who have provided these services traditionally (and
whose reputations we know) will surely continue as Information Age providers, others
will no doubt emerge. But many, many others are inexperienced,
unknowing or just plain inept. Their contribution is and will
increasingly be there too. The credible incompetents have always
been a major threat in information exchange; but now (with the
anonymity of the network) their discovery may be even more
elusive. And fraudulent information will abound, sometimes
skillfully woven into an otherwise credible context. In this
milieu the skill to analyze and to independently evaluate and
verify information will be essential. Good catalogs of the
currently published information stocks, for example, are
reasonably complete. In the free creation and publication arena of
the Information Age, such catalogs
are only now just beginning to emerge. Because of the explosive
growth rates, however, cataloging techniques will need to be
improved and speeded up substantially in order to keep abreast of
increasing publication rates.
Librarians
and others with these cataloging skills and disciplines will be in
great demand to provide structure and order to this flood of
information. Critical evaluation and analysis of the
credibility of informaiton sources will become increasingly
important. Until the Librarians and others are able to keep the
catalogs up to date, individual experience, ability to search,
knowledge of reliable sources and know- how in analysis and
verification will be required by every participant. In this
effort, there is no substitute for the experience of
learning-by-doing; and in order to gain that experience, we
need to start at once (if only to be effective and comfortable in
keeping abreast of developments in our fields of greatest
interest).
The Information Age is sweeping upon us
like a tidal wave (whether we are prepared or not). Its potential
to revolutionize ways of working, thinking, learning and
living can hardly be over-stated. Its essence is not merely the
connection (the ability to access and contribute to information
flows); it is not even the new associations, contacts and interest
groups that are formed. It is the broadened understanding of a
more global point of view, the products of the analysis,
assimilation and integration of more information, and the addition
of this increased understanding to the information which is
passed on that is the strategically important outcome of
being connected to the Information Superhighway. It is this
adding of value to the information flows, and the associated
teaching and learning, which will position us to exploit global
information exchange and collaboration in the 1990s and beyond.
"The digital revolution is real and is starting now. Here's
your chance to learn about the new technology, listen to the
visionaries, peer into the future." This quote is from an
historic Star Tribune article from 1996.
it has a number of components, is easy to read and was
written for the general reader. It could be a great help in
conveying the urgency of getting on board for those still
wondering if the Information Age is going to affect their lives.
It has a good historical look-back at the importance of the
motor at the beginning of the Industrial Age. Most readers can
understand the fundamental importance of aligning business and
work with the use of motors: likewise, telecomm networks and
microcomputers are changing everything. Economic and political
dislocation are rampant, and will get quite a bit worse. The
best defense is to get involved, learn all you can, and
participate in this information exchange that is transforming
the world.
Miles, R. Fidelman, in his paper: "Life in the Fastlane: a Municipal
Roadmap for the Information Superhighway" [Note 1],
points out that "a hundred years ago, lack of a railroad stop
condemned many towns to a lingering death. Thirty years ago,
Interstate interchanges helped many communities to prosper, while
those on back roads stagnated. Now the information superhighway is
coming." He then asks: "Will your town be ready?" The U.S.
National Information Infrastructure Agenda for Action promises "a
seamless web of communications networks, computers, databases and
consumer electronics that will change forever the way people live,
work and interact with each other." The Internet today consists of
some 25,000 networks linked together in a "telephone system for
computers" that links commercial, government and academic networks.
Federal, provincial/state and even some local governments
disseminate information routinely over the Internet. Our challenge
now is to build electronic city streets to link homes, libraries,
schools, hospitals and businesses, and to provide these information
services everywhere.
Properly connected, these networks portend great promise
for municipal governments, including at least the following.
Streamlining of internal operations by reducing dependence on
paper and increasing the utilization of electronic speeds to
expedite information flows.
Reducing redundancies and overlaps by sharing equipment and
by jointly accessing common sources of relevant, timely
information.
Increasing effectiveness of agencies through better
coordination and quicker access to shared information.
Stimulating the sharing of access arrangements in which the
large economies of scale can be brought to all members of the
community. [For example, a municipality's Internet connection
costs well under $10 per month for a full-time connection at
each workstation running over a very high-speed line directly to
an Internet service provider. Local providers offer a limited
amount of metered service over much slower lines for on the
order of $30 per month. In Holland today, by way of contrast, an
individual can subscribe to an Internet service for around $10
Cdn per month over a full-time line that operates at twice the
speed of a municipality's current high-speed connection.]
Providing more timely and accurate information through use of
electronic bulletin boards, and through other public access to
government documents and advisories.
Providing ways for smaller businesses to participate in
projects at the end of a telephone line where their presence was
not practical before. The effect stimulates local levels of
economic activity, even though sources of revenue may be miles
away. The small rural community of Linton, North Dakota, for
example, provides employment for 200 in a branch data processing
office for a large travel agency in Philadelphia (1,400 air
miles away).
Promoting effective distance learning miles from centers of
specialized education through the association of students and
professors using interactive video, audio and data links.
Encouraging telecommuting to exploit the opportunities in
which individuals whose intellectual and information-based
contributions to an enterprise can easily be conducted from the
end of a telephone line anywhere in the world.
The City of San Diego adopted in late 1994 a Telecommunications
Policy [Note 2] that used the model from the
League of California Cities. That policy recognized:
new emerging telecommunications capabilities,
a big increase in telecommunications responsibility for
cities, and
the need to coordinate telecom policy with other city
policy.
Its objectives included improved administrative efficiency in
service delivery, reduced budget deficits, improved democratic
governance, improved equity in delivery of government services to
citizens with low and moderate incomes, and those with limited
mobility, reducing air pollution, traffic congestion and energy
consumption through telecommuting, distance learning, etc.,
encouraging economic development, and ensuring affordable universal access
and ability to contribute for all citizens.
The Policy included provisions:
to gain the best use of this emerging technology for city
services and administrative activities,
to assure fair information principles which would balance the
objectives of open government with protection of the Privacy rights of citizens,
to consider Privacy rights in
planning and introduction of all new information systems,
including limitations on data collected, limitations on
secondary uses and sales of the data, rights of citizens to know
what information had been collected about them, how it would be
used, that the data was accurate, and that there were adequate
means to correct errors,
to assure security of data against unauthorized collection,
access, use or dissemination, and
to educate the citizens about the uses of this data, and
their rights with respect to data about them.
Fundamental democratic principles guide government policy at all
levels. Here the fundamental democratic right is to communicate
freely with others: in the community, the state, the nation and the
world. Government's role is to assure these fundamental democratic
rights in freely elected democratic countries.
Universal ability to
access the information (at an affordable price). As the
Internet is developed and expanded, care must be exercised at
every turn to assure that economically disadvantaged and rural
citizens are not excluded from access to these information flows
purely because costs exceed their means, or distances are
inconvenient.
.
Universal ability to contribute new information, ideas
and debate. As discussion extends to world-wide
constituencies, every individual has a potential contribution to
make to the welfare of the whole. Individuals suffer from a lack
of information; and society suffers from the imbalance in
participation if some groups are preferred over others.
Governments have an obligation to adopt policies and practices
which mitigate effectively against these exclusions.
The following examples highlight what credible national governments
are saying about their policies and associated objectives, their
assessment of the urgency for action and their response to this
challenging opportunity. These excerpts are by no means exhaustive.
Rather, they are based on one or two recent comprehensive reports on
information strategies in each selected country. Only the most
significant points are excerpted here; and many such points are left
out in cases where that point is adequately made in the report of
another national government. Emphasis has been added where
appropriate to the aims of this planning process. The "Notes and Bibliography" section
below contains links to the reports cited.
The Canadian Treasury Board has posted "Strategic
Directions
for Information Management and Information Technology: Enabling
21st Century Service to Canadians," and other information
management reports. The 1999 Strategic
Directions
report describes "a new vision for its relationship with
Canadians, characterized as citizen-centred government. It is a
vision that recognizes the different ways that people interact with
their government: as taxpayers who expect value and results; as
clients who expect accessible, quality services; and as citizens who
participate in the democratic process."
This citizen-centered approach "has embraced a vision of
electronic service delivery that would offer Canadians services
at the right time and place, a vision that would enable
individuals and businesses to interact securely with government
in a convenient, accessible way."
"According to current projections, the information economy
will surpass industrial and agrarian economies in terms of
percentage of GDP by 2003."
"In the digital economy, the creation and strategic use of
knowledge - how well it is managed, shared, transmitted and
stored - is growing in importance. ... Just as importantly,
knowledge must be viewed as a resource to be nurtured and shared
in support of broad corporate goals."
"This vision recognizes that [electronic service delivery]
channels must be easy to use and have a common look and feel,
and that Canadians want to conduct their business in a secure
environment that protects their privacy and the confidentiality
of information."
"Through e-government, citizens, businesses, suppliers and
other organizations benefit from lower transaction costs,
greater accuracy, better use of knowledge and improved
communication with government. The on-line channel can create
opportunities for enhanced citizen engagement. Citizens can
provide instant feedback on the services they receive on-line
and identify their priorities for service improvement. As
government and citizens learn how to interact in an on-line
environment, there is an exciting potential for greater citizen
involvement in public policy making, and greater responsiveness
from public figures and institutions." The report also provides
links to many federal on-line resources and services,
particularly in the Appendix.
Earlier, the Canada's Minister of Industry, in "The Canadian
Information Highway" [Note 3] indicated that
"a new knowledge-based economy that is emerging in Canada requires a
new advanced infrastructure -- the electronic highway." Additional
excerpts follow.
"Building on existing and planned communications networks,"
he continued, "this infrastructure will become a 'network of
networks,' linking Canadian homes, businesses, governments, and
institutions to a wide range of interactive services from
entertainment, education, cultural products and social services to
data banks, computers, electronic commerce, banking and business
services."
The report goes on to indicate that the enabling
effects of the information highway will be felt in all
industry sectors and regions of Canada.
It will stimulate research and development (R& D) in
leading-edge technologies;
it will facilitate the diffusion of innovative technologies
and information-based services;
it will strengthen the competitiveness of large and small
Canadian businesses; and
it will provide cost-effective access to high-quality health
care, educational and social services.
The information highway initiative is essential for Canada's success
in a new global economy in which value, jobs and wealth are based on
the creation, movement and application of information.
The Canadian government proposes three objectives
to be pursued by the national information strategy:
to create jobs through innovation and investment,
to reinforce Canadian sovereignty and cultural identity, and
"If Canada is to succeed in a global economy based on the creation,
movement, storage, retrieval and application of information, our
communications networks must be knitted into a seamless and powerful
information infrastructure serving all Canadians. If Canada does not
match the efforts of its competitors in accelerating infrastructure
development, opportunities for network, product and service
development (and the resulting economic growth and new jobs) will be
seized by firms [and individuals] in other countries."
"Public policy has long sought to ensure that all
Canadians, regardless of their income or place of residence, along
with schools, universities, hospitals and research institutions,
have access to basic telephone services. Universal access has been
supported through cross-subsidies from long-distance to local
services. In a competitive environment, prices move toward the
cost of providing services, and there will be increased pressure
to reduce or eliminate cross-subsidies. As new and enhanced
services are introduced, the widest possible customer base will be
increasingly necessary for the viability of electronic delivery of
commercial and essential public services. The information highway
system will play a critical role in employment, economic and
social well-being, and the exercise of democratic values and
citizenship. Without appropriate public policies, we run the risk
of creating classes of information "haves" and "have-nots," with
potentially serious downstream implications."
"In the information society, success in school, the
workplace, and everyday life will depend on learning new and
more efficient ways to rapidly access a variety of information-
and knowledge-based resources. The information highway will
stimulate the development of an enormous range of education,
training and lifelong learning applications that will provide
access to courses, libraries, museums, specialized databases and
other people, regardless of location. Users will need to
understand how to access and use the information highway
effectively if they are to derive the full benefit of these
services."
"The Canadian information highway can only be achieved
collaboratively through the informed participation of all
stakeholders and the coordinated investment of our collective
resources."
See also: The Treasury Board of Canada, which has posted
a "Common Look and Feel (CLF)" initiative with a substantial
"Accessibility" section. This section points out that "Some
Canadians rely on assistive technologies such as text readers,
audio players and voice activated devices to overcome the barriers
presented by standard technologies. Others may be limited by their
own technology. But old browsers, non-standard operating systems,
slow connections, small screens or text-only screens should not
stand in the way of obtaining information that is available to
others." The Government
of
Canada Internet Guide contains helpful sections for
departments planning and setting up an Internet presence. The
guide contains lots of rationale and general principles which
would apply to any Internet website. Their "Universal
Accessibility" section states "It is every Canadian's right to
receive government information or service in a form that can be
used, and it is the Government of Canada's obligation to provide
it." The Treasury Board's "Government On-line"
page provides links to components of their connectivity
initiative. Their "Results for
Canadians: A Management Framework for the Government of Canada"
paper (Table
of Contents only) provides additional insight. Through
multiple e-government initiatives, Canada is striving to become
the world's most wired government."
"Governments are reinventing themselves to meet new
expectations and the priorities of citizens and businesses.
These dynamics are compelling the federal government to create a
new vision for its relationship with Canadians."
A National Information Services Council report [Note
4] proclaims "as we move rapidly into the 'Information Age,' ... it is vitally
important for Australia's continuing development as an equitable
society that we ensure that all Australians can access and make
productive use of information services." Excerpts from the report
follow.
The report recommends that government access provisions be
governed by principles of:
Non-discriminatory access assuring that disadvantaged groups
have equal access to these services.
Cooperation between government, industry and the community
and the different tiers of government.
Access to carriers that is affordable and equitable for rural
Australians, including upgrading telephone standards from voice
grade to a digital standard of mid-band level functionality in
the short term, and to broadband in the long term; and that all
broadband service carriers be required to provide two dedicated
channels: one for non-profit community cable TV service, and one
for community/Internet networks.
Involvement of the community.
Adherence to open standards and interoperability.
Access to content be assured, which will include keeping the
public information stocks, archives and databases in public
ownership.
"The age of information began with the development of the printing
press. The public library established the principle of a common
stock of information, held in common, for all citizens to use
freely, creatively and productively, and was our first example of 'universal reach.'
In public broadcasting and in public libraries, we recognized the
right to access; in electronic communication we recognize the
right to communicate. Barriers for women will need to be
reconciled in circumstances where new interactive technologies are
dominated by males."
The principal roles of government in terms of access are:
to ensure that a regulatory environment allows equitable
access to infrastructure for creativity and within which
Australian content and Australian service providers are
encouraged;
to ensure that a climate is created within which the
community as a whole can participate; and
to ensure equitable access for all Australians, with targeted
assistance for disadvantaged groups.
"Fundamental rights that need to be addressed are a right to access
information and a right to communicate. The major value of
electronic networks is their capacity to accelerate the pace at
which individuals, communities and enterprises can exchange ideas
and create linkages which are crucial to innovation and
prosperity. For a truly national network we need to involve
all levels of government and the community in a partnership. A range
of matters needs balanced policy and legislation including
competition, consumer protection, Privacy
rights, security and protection of
intellectual property rights." [See also Note
11 below for a list of other copyright/intellectual property
resources prepared by Kevin Savetz.]
Make powerful new Internet resources, especially broadband
access, widely and equitably available and affordable for all
learners.
Provide continuous and relevant training and support for
educators and administrators at all levels.
Build a new research framework of how people learn in the
Internet age.
Develop high quality online educational content that meets
the highest standards of educational excellence.
Revise outdated regulations that impede innovation and
replace them with approaches that embrace anytime, anywhere, any
pace learning.
Protect online learners and ensure their privacy.
Sustain funding--via traditional and new sources--that is
adequate to the challenge at hand.
"The question is no longer if the Internet can be used to transform
learning in new and powerful ways. The Commission has found that it
can. Nor is the question should we invest the time, the energy, and
the money necessary to fulfill its promise in defining and shaping
new learning opportunity. The Commission believes that we should. We
all have a role to play. It is time we collectively move the power
of the Internet for learning from promise to practice."
"The Commission believes a national mobilization is
necessary, one that evokes a response similar in scope to
other great American opportunities-or crises: Sputnik and
the race to the moon; bringing electricity and phone service
to all corners of the nation; finding a cure for polio."
____________________________
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration
report "Connecting the Nation" [Note 5]
identified fundamental principles to guide the initiative:
Promoting private sector investment.
Providing and protecting competition [The significance here
is that it will not be done via utility monopolies as it was for
telephone, electric power, etc.; nor will it be done by
quasi-monopolies as it was for TV networks; nor will it be done
by governments, as it was for the Interstate highway system.
Rather, it will be done by business investment, with help and
regulation by government.]
Acting as a catalyst to promote technological innovation and
new applications.
Promoting seamless, interactive, user-driven operation of
National Information Infrastructure.
Ensuring information security and network reliability.
Improving management of the radio frequency spectrum.
Coordinating with other levels of government and with other
national governments.
Providing access to and distribution of government
information; and
Encouraging flexibility and responsive government action.
"We are moving from an Industrial Age built on gears and sweat to an
Information Age demanding skills and
learning and flexibility. The workforce of the 21st century
will need to be familiar with information technologies, adept at
information gathering, and comfortable with the manipulation and
interpretation of data. As the transition to a knowledge-based
economy accelerates, America's children must have access to
communications and information technologies in the classroom.
Without these tools, American children will lack the necessary
computer skills to compete in the 21st Century. Educational
institutions, therefore will need to be equipped with information
technologies and communications networks." Only this arrangement
allows the students to develop problem solving approaches and skills
which integrate these processes and techniques from the earliest
problem-solving ages.
"Powerful and revolutionary technological and economic
forces are driving a transformation of our economy and our lives
as the rigors of competition increasingly supplant a system of
regulated monopolies." The most dominant forces are:
technological advances (e.g., digital compression, more
powerful computers, and new wireless services);
decreasing prices for computers and telecommunications
services; and
the convergence of information, [entertainment] and
communications services and technologies.
"Other indications that the transition to an information-intensive
economy is underway can be seen in how businesses are using
information technologies to provide new services and/or reinvent
themselves through telecommuting and electronic commerce
initiatives. In 1990 there were an estimated 2 million telecommuters
in the United States. That number increased to 7.8 million by 1994.
By the year 2001, there will be an estimated 30 million
telecommuters. The growth in the use of electronic mail is
another example. In 1985, there were only 300,000 registered
electronic mail users. In 1993 an estimated 12 million Americans
regularly used electronic mail and related on-line services. Today,
the number of electronic mail users is estimated to be more than 27
million."
In its Brussels meeting of December 1993, the European Council
requested that a report be prepared by a group of prominent persons
on the specific measures to be taken into consideration by the
Community and the Members States for information infrastructures. On
the basis of this report, a program identifying precise procedures
for action and the necessary means will be defined. The following
excerpts were taken from the Bangemann report [Note
6] which responded (May 1994) to the Council's request. [NOTE:
See also a report of subsequent developments as Europe's cities rise
to the Bangemann challenge, and Britain proposes a wholesale shift
to on-line services, at Note 6 below.]
This Report urges the European Union to put its faith in
market mechanisms as the motive power to carry us into the Information Age. This means that
actions must be taken at the European level and by Member States
to strike down entrenched positions which put Europe at a
competitive disadvantage:
it means fostering an entrepreneurial mentality to enable the
emergence of new dynamic sectors of the economy
it means developing a common regulatory approach to bring
forth a competitive, Europe-wide, market for information
services
it does NOT mean more public money, financial assistance,
subsidies, dirigisme, or protectionism.
"In addition to its specific recommendations, the Group proposes an
Action Plan of concrete initiatives based on a partnership between
the private and public sectors to carry Europe forward into the
information society."
"The information society has the potential to improve the
quality of life of Europe's citizens, the efficiency of our social
and economic organization and to reinforce cohesion. The main
risk lies in the creation of a two-tier society of "haves"
and "have-nots," in which only a part of the population has access
to the new technology, is comfortable using it and can fully enjoy
its benefits. There is a danger that
individuals will reject the new information culture and its
instruments."
"Why the urgency? Because competitive suppliers of
networks and services from outside Europe are increasingly active
in our markets. Tide waits for no man, and this is a revolutionary
tide, sweeping through economic and social life. We must press on.
At least we do not have the usual European worry about catching
up. In some areas we are well placed, in others we do need to do
more - but this is also true for the rest of the world's trading
nations."
"The Group is convinced that technological progress and the
evolution of the market mean that Europe must make a break
from policies based on principles which belong to a time before
the advent of the information revolution. The key issue for
the emergence of new markets is the need for a new regulatory
environment allowing full competition. This will be a prerequisite
for mobilizing the private capital necessary for innovation,
growth and development."
The report's recommendations include the following
broad subject areas:
The Group recommends the establishment at the European level
of an authority whose terms of reference will require a prompt
attention.
Interconnection of networks and interoperability of services
and applications are recommended as primary Union objectives.
The Group recommends a review of the European standardization
process in order to increase its speed and responsiveness to
markets.
The Group recommends as a matter of urgency the adjustment of
international, long distance and leased line tariffs to bring
these down into line with rates practiced in other advanced
industrialized regions. Adjustment of tariffs should be
accompanied by the fair sharing of public service obligations
among operators.
It is recommended to promote public awareness. Particular
attention should be paid to the small and medium sized business
sector, public administrations and the younger generation.
The Group recommends that the openness of the European market
should find its counterpart in markets and networks of other
regions of the world. It is of paramount importance for Europe
that adequate steps are taken to guarantee equal access.
"While there is a great deal of information that is in the public
domain, there is also information containing added value which is
proprietary and needs protection via the enforcement
of intellectual property rights." [See also Note 11 below for a list of other
copyright/intellectual property resources prepared by Kevin Savetz.]
The Group believes that intellectual
property protection must rise to the new challenges
of globalization and multimedia and must continue to have a high
priority at both European and international levels. [See also Note 11 below for a list of other
copyright/intellectual property resources prepared by Kevin
Savetz.]
The Group believes that without the legal security of a
Union-wide approach, lack of consumer confidence will certainly
undermine the rapid development of the information society.
Given the importance and sensitivity of the privacy rights issue, a fast
decision from Member States is required on the Commission's
proposed Directive setting out general principles of data
protection.
A national government report: From Vision to Action - Info-Society
2000: Statement to Parliament on "Info-Society 2000" and IT
Political Action Plan 1995, Ministry of Research and Information
Technology, Denmark, March 1995.[Note 7].
Excerpts from the report follow.
"A revolution is in progress: a world-wide short-circuit of
time, space, people and processes."
"This is a very precise description of the enormous impact on
social life that we are witnessing at the moment: ever more
sophisticated telecommunications make the world shrink. At the
same time, computers become available at still cheaper prices and
with their rapidly increasing capacity create entirely new
potentials of information and working processes. With the fusion
of the telecommunications and computer technologies this impact
becomes increasingly powerful."
"What this really means is that geographic distance tends
to loose its importance altogether. Many production processes are
made dramatically more efficient. Entirely new requirements to the
qualifications of employees are often the consequence of these
trends. The basic conditions of cultural development and education
are radically changed."
"In the global perspective, the Info-Society is certainly
becoming a reality that we cannot dismiss. The only question is
how we will respond to it."
"The Primary and Lower Secondary School System calls for
Ambitious Action. The development towards the Info-Society carries
an inherent risk of creating a two-tier society of winners and
losers as far as IT is concerned. The winners are those with a
higher education who are able to master the new technology, who
know the possibilities of the Info-Society and are able to learn
and to develop the qualifications necessary to cope with the jobs
of the future."
"Denmark should act now. Denmark is not the only country
with a conscious and proactive attitude to the challenges of the
Info-Society. On the contrary, a remarkable interest and a high
level of awareness are rapidly gathering momentum in other
countries as well."
"The USA was first with the Clinton-Gore plan of "The
Information Super-Highway" and is leading today both
technologically and in the development of the world-wide Internet.
In Asia, Japan will be launching a large-scale project and
Singapore has advanced plans for the introduction of a major
project which contains some of the surveillance features, however,
that we do not want in our society."
"In Europe, the Info-Society was really put on the agenda
with the publication of the Bangemann Report last year and with
the discussions of it at the meeting of Heads of State and Heads
of Government last June. Among European countries, Sweden is far
advanced with preparations of large-scale initiatives. But Denmark
is certainly not disqualified from this international company, at
least not if we act now."
The following are the Government's political guidelines
for efforts in individual areas in 1995. [Policy elements for each
area are listed with Note 7 in the Notes
and Bibliography section, below.]
The Electronic Service Network of the Public Sector
Utilization of Data and Protection of Personal Data
Security
A Better Health Service Providing Faster Treatments
A report of the national government of The Netherlands - Information
Superhighway: From Metaphor To Action [Note 8]
asks: "The 'information superhighway' - what does this actually
mean?"
"Some common features of the information superhighway can be
mentioned. They not only relate to the networks, but also to
participation in communications and the presentation of services.
Four key words describe the concept: wideband, widely
accessible, multimedia and interactive. An exciting
interchange is developing between information technology (IT) data
storage and natural human communications, with potentially
far-reaching effects on society and culture."
"The US presidential team Clinton and Gore have led captains of
industry in the US, and also government leaders in Japan and
Europe, in a drive to translate this insight into joint action. In
its analysis of the European position in the worldwide trend
towards an information society, the Bangemann Group outlined a
picture of constraints, but also of opportunities (June 1994). The
plan also considers social and cultural aspects of the
developments. It has since been discussed at various European
Council meetings."
"Partly on the basis of analyses prepared for the Dutch position
[at the time of the Bangemann report], the Cabinet agreed when it
took office (in its Coalition Agreement) that an extra national
drive is needed, in addition to the joint European policy efforts,
because of the considerable importance of these developments for
the creation of new economic activities and high tech employment.
The development of the information superhighway also carries
social and cultural significance."
There are three important aspects in the public domain for which
the government holds special responsibility.
The right to freedom of information and communication
The right to protection of the personal living environment
The right to rules of public order (drawn up by the
government) for social and commercial interaction.
"The Netherlands must strengthen its position as the 'Gateway to
Europe' by also using information as a source of high-tech economic
activity. This involves knowledge-intensive business activity
distinguished by high growth figures and value added in key Dutch
sectors. In view of the technology base in this country, together
with the skilled labor force and the traditional strength in
process-based logistical and financial services, the Netherlands is
in a good starting position. Our country will, however, need to put
its shoulder to the wheel, as the worldwide race is very fast
and calls for exceptional efforts."
The government envisages undertaking the following tasks:
Ensuring broad access to communications media and a
wide variety of pluriform sources of information for society as
a whole. This will be reflected in policy on information supply,
public information and education, and in high quality, varied
supply through a strong and widely recognized public
broadcasting service.
Providing scope for private sector initiatives for
investment in networks and services, through a progressive
approach involving liberalization and, where possible,
deregulation of markets for telecommunications and electronic
media. Traditionally, monopoly telephone and broadcast
facilities guaranteed that the suppliers (then the controllers
of the information flows) met the need for broad equitable
access. Now it is the private concerns which will build the
networks and individual users will be the controllers of the
information flows. This portends great changes in the regulatory
climate in order to assure equity.
Creating a new framework for (self-)regulation, in order to
set clear legal conditions for electronic information. Intellectual property rights
and privacy rights are among the issues that play a role here.
[See also Note 11 below for a list of
other copyright/intellectual property resources prepared by
Kevin Savetz.]
Organizing the government's position as a major user of
information (systems) and telecoms services to ensure that these
exert a stimulating and guiding influence on the
development of information superhighways.
Strengthening the R& D base.
Setting up a limited number of demonstration projects,
serving as guidelines in the private and public sectors, in
order to make a start and gain experience with the development
of information superhighways.
"A distinguishing feature of the current wave of innovations is the
integration of telephone, computer and audio-visual media in open
information networks. The information and communications market is changing
from a supply-driven to a demand-driven market. The prime
factor is not the supply of information or telecommunications. The
starting point of the information process lies increasingly with the
needs of the information consumer."
"The roots of the information business have traditionally
lain in information carriers such as paper, gramophone
records, film, photographs, drawings etc. Important properties
such as originality and authenticity have been defined in this
way. However, electronic recording, processing and information
exchange eliminate this basis. The distinction between copies
and the original vanishes, and the authenticity or origin of
reports is hard to determine. Here lies a key function of the
information business: providing access and payment for use.
Security and encoding technology play a critical role in this
function." [See also Note 11 below for a
list of other copyright/intellectual property resources prepared
by Kevin Savetz.]
"Information appears in different forms in the economy.
Data provide the raw material or support for production processes.
But information can also be an end product, and can be marketed
through both physical carriers and electronic networks. In a
sense, information is like money: it plays an intermediate
role in economic processes and between players, allowing for
important spin-off effects. One spin-off for the Netherlands has
been productivity gains from mobile communications, which will
reach something in the order of NLG 20 billion per year by the
year 2000. The introduction of a second operator for the Global
System for Mobile Communication (GSM) alone will generate NLG 6
billion per year in efficiency gains in 2004, and more than NLG 1
billion in value added in the mobile communications sector.
Employment growth is estimated at 4,000 jobs. Seen in this light,
the Internet information products and processes are just a
primitive forerunner of the future worldwide electronic
information market. Systems and contracts must be created
for payment for information services."
"The information superhighway is inconceivable without
first-class network facilities. In fact, the telecom network
is the 'asphalt' of the information superhighway. This
technological base is largely present in the Netherlands, but the
advanced networks and technology segment is trailing the world
leaders and even a number of European countries."
"The information superhighway will ultimately have sweeping
social effects, and will consequently constantly raise
dilemmas. For example, the availability of information will become
increasingly important for the functioning of society. Electronic
information systems appear to be relatively widely used by
graduates, while use by women is clearly lagging. This threatens
to create a gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' in
the information society. The education system, where use of
computers is taking off to a fairly large extent, must therefore
gain experience now with the new opportunities afforded by the
information superhighway."
As the European Bangemann
report and the Danish strategy paper
indicate, the Information Age is
sweeping over us like a tidal wave. Tide waits for no man; and this
is a revolutionary tide
sweeping through economic and social life. It will touch us all, one
way or the other. Its speed is much
faster than previous revolutions we have read about or experienced.
Because the competitive
prizes will go to the swift and agile, we need to assist our
citizens in every way and to make fundamental changes to the body of
policy and regulation that will enable our citizens to best position themselves in
order to exploit the opportunities this revolution will bring. In
this effort we need to be guided by important, fundamental
conditions.
Balancing the aims of open government and individual rights to privacy and intellectual property ownership
[See also Note 11 below for a list of
other copyright/intellectual property resources prepared by
Kevin Savetz.];
Maintaining public ownership of publicly-generated
information stocks, archives and data bases;
Promoting and encouraging the required changes in education
and learning for young and old (including education of
citizens concerning their information
technology rights);
Facilitating exploitation by industry, business and
commerce;
Becoming partners with business and the community to assist
and encourage both, and to harness significant economies of
scale for the benefit of all;
Encouraging standards of interconnection and
interoperability of networks and systems;
Streamlining and improving information and other service
delivery to the electorate;
Doing its share to set an example in adding value to global
flows of balanced, impartial and reliable information; and
See Also: The Internet
Society (about),
which, at their INET99
Conference in June 1999 (welcome
page), hosted a session in the Social, Legal and Regulatory
track entitled "Why
Should a Government Invest in the Internet? The Experience of
the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Spain." This candid
proceedings paper "analyzes the economic and social benefits
derived from the presence of public administrations on the
Internet. The study ... quantifies, in monetary terms, the public
savings generated by a government agency that uses the Internet.
In addition, the work attempts to value, in terms of utility or
satisfaction, the new services received by taxpayers." Their Conclusions
indicate that the on-line services provided a more "fluid
relationship between public administrations and taxpayers,"
eliminated many bureaucratic barriers, reduced costs for both
taxpayers and government, and improved social satisfaction. Other
Proceedings
papers from the conference, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of
Spain website is also available (the latter in Spanish).
See Also: The Treasury Board's Chief
Information Officer Branch (CIOB), which, at their Government
On-line
website, posts "Government
On-line:
Serving Canadians in a Digital World." In that report, the "Benefits
to
Canadians" section points out that "through venues such as
the Canadian E-Business Opportunities Roundtable, the business
community has encouraged government to show leadership in
electronic service delivery to spur the growth of electronic
commerce. All sectors need to take action if Canada is to capture
its fair share of the global e- marketplace. Acting as a model
user of technology and promoting connectivity among citizens,
the government has a key role to play. Getting Government
On-Line is an important part of the federal strategy to accelerate
Canada's participation in the digital economy." In addition, the "Do
Canadians Want Electronic Service Delivery?" section
indicates that "as Canadians go on-line, they expect
governments to do the same. This message has come through
clearly and consistently in consultations on the information
highway with a variety of clients, and in research on service
delivery preferences. A majority of Canadians - individuals and
businesses - support the move to electronic service delivery, and
the appetite for electronic government is rapidly increasing."
See Also: The Connecting Canadians initiative, "a federal
government vision and plan to make Canada the most connected
country in the world. In an increasingly competitive and
knowledge-based global economy, Canada can benefit by becoming a
world leader in the development and use of advanced information
and communications technologies."
See also: The British initiative, "Modern
Regulation for a Modern World," a 2000 communications white
paper describing the combination of regulation for public
broadcasting, telephone and Internet technologies in a new Office
of Communications (Executive
Summary).
In essence, they propose:
Simple, clear regulation one regulator for all electronic
communications;
A one stop shop for complaints;
Leading the world in regulating the communications
revolution;
Balancing between light touch and commitment to quality and
diversity;
Continuing commitment to strong public service values and
upholding; standards; and
Providing protection and a clear voice for the consumer.
From the above and from other sources will emerge a number of
guiding principles that could be approved for guidance. Principles
are big and broad; whereas policy objectives (below) are similar,
but narrower and more specific.
Cooperative efforts between schools, libraries, hospitals,
city/county/provincial governments, and businesses to secure
advantages of scale, shared leased lines, etc., for residents
and businesses.
Concentration of effort by educators, to make global
information exchange and collaboration fundamental parts of
problem-solving for students starting in the earliest grades
(and including education of all citizens concerning their
information technology rights).
Significant enhancement of adult-learning opportunities as
training and experience in the new way of thinking, and in
development of new skills and processes for tomorrow's globally
competitive markets (both for jobs, and for products and
services).
Improvement in the management and operation of government
services:
for internal inter-departmental transaction processing, and
for exchange of information between administrative and
legislative levels,
for distribution of information to the electorate, and
for collection of opinion, reaction and direction from the
electorate.
From the planning process will emerge a number of policy objectives
that are reasonable. For information, many of the following are
excerpted (with some re-ordering) from a plan adopted by the City of
San Diego [Note 2] which may be helpful as
examples. See also the City of Sunnyvale, California's Draft
Telecommunications Policy. This document is very comprehensive, and
has an Executive Summary which contains a Telecommunications Policy
Outcomes Statement and a Summary of their Goals and Objectives.
Improve the effectiveness of participation by residents in
local decision making.
Encourage regional inter-city cooperation in order to
preserve local self-government.
Ensure Delivery of Government Services (especially to low and
moderate income constituents and to those with limited
mobility).
Develop a municipal telecommunications network.
Emphasize neighborhood access points.
Facilitate co-production of the service by the end user
(such as the neighborhood watch program of police service, or
the automated teller machines of the banking industry).
Encourage Economic Development
Key organizations (from small businesses to public
libraries) use telecommunications to become more effective and
to satisfy other objectives.
Use telecommunications to stimulate the growth of the
regional economy and effectively participate in the global
economy.
Improve Administrative Efficiency
Uncouple service delivery from service production, and
decentralize both.
Deliver service as close to the point of consumption as
possible.
Use network services to increase the productivity and
effectiveness of the workforce.
Reduce Budget Deficits
Reduce costs:
Use telecommunications extensively in service delivery
and corporate administration.
Manage telecommunications consumption to ensure a
least-cost technical solution.
Consider joining a consumer consortium.
Increase revenue:
Seek fair compensation for the use of rights-of-way and
other public assets such as the radio frequency spectrum.
Consider entering semi-entrepreneurial activities such as
public-private joint ventures or equity participation in a
network facility or a teleconferencing network.
Reduce air pollution, traffic congestion and energy
consumption while accommodating growth.
Reduce vehicle miles traveled related to work, shopping and
the pursuit of services - ranging from education to retail
goods and access to government services and information.
Maintain public ownership of publicly-generated information
stocks, archives and data bases. [The Association of Public Data
Users [cookies (cookie caution)]
provides a forum for discussion of public data and its
management].
Encourage open standards of interconnection and
interoperability of networks and systems.
This section contains specific references to papers cited in this
report. In addition, Note 9 contains
other Civic, State or National policy papers on Information
Technology and Telecommunications which were not cited directly. [Note 99] contains some miscellaneous notes
related to Telecommunications Strategic Planning. These items may be
useful during the planning processes.
.
.
Note 1: Miles R. Fidelman, Director,
U.S. Center for Civic Networking , "Life in the Fastlane: a
Municipal Roadmap for the Information Superhighway."
Note 3: The Canadian Treasury Board has
posted "Strategic
Directions
for Information Management and Information Technology: Enabling
21st Century Service to Canadians," and other information
management reports. The 1999 Strategic
Directions
report describes "a new vision for its relationship with
Canadians, characterized as citizen-centred government. It is a
vision that recognizes the different ways that people interact with
their government: as taxpayers who expect value and results; as
clients who expect accessible, quality services; and as citizens who
participate in the democratic process."
This citizen-centered approach "has embraced a vision of
electronic service delivery that would offer Canadians services
at the right time and place, a vision that would enable
individuals and businesses to interact securely with government
in a convenient, accessible way."
"According to current projections, the information economy
will surpass industrial and agrarian economies in terms of
percentage of GDP by 2003."
"In the digital economy, the creation and strategic use of
knowledge - how well it is managed, shared, transmitted and
stored - is growing in importance. ... Just as importantly,
knowledge must be viewed as a resource to be nurtured and shared
in support of broad corporate goals."
"This vision recognizes that [electronic service delivery]
channels must be easy to use and have a common look and feel,
and that Canadians want to conduct their business in a secure
environment that protects their privacy and the confidentiality
of information."
"Through e-government, citizens, businesses, suppliers and
other organizations benefit from lower transaction costs,
greater accuracy, better use of knowledge and improved
communication with government. The on-line channel can create
opportunities for enhanced citizen engagement. Citizens can
provide instant feedback on the services they receive on-line
and identify their priorities for service improvement. As
government and citizens learn how to interact in an on-line
environment, there is an exciting potential for greater citizen
involvement in public policy making, and greater responsiveness
from public figures and institutions." The report also provides
links to many federal on-line resources and services,
particularly in the Appendix.
Note 4: The National Library of
Australia lists Government
Policy and the Information Highway containing extensive links
to policy papers from Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore,
the United Kingdom and the United States.
Note 5: The U.S. National
Telecommunications and Information Administration report "Connecting the Nation:
classrooms, libraries and health care organizations in the
Information Age," Office of Telecommunications and Information
Applications, U.S. Department of Commerce, June 1995. See also Note 9 for links to the U.S. National
Information Infrastructure (NII) and to the Global Information
Infrastructure (GII) papers. Note 9 also contains links to the
report "Networking for a Reinvented Government: U.S. Federal
Telecommunications Requirements and Industry Technology Assessment."
Note 6: Report of Martin Bangemann and
others to the request of the European Council that a report be
prepared by a group of prominent persons on the specific measures to
be taken into consideration by the European Community and the Member
States for information infrastructures.
*** Note 6a (added Dec 96): See also an article "Europe's
Cities are Joining the Information Age" which reports how, by late
1996, European cities were rising to the "Bangeman Challenge."
This is an outstanding report of achievement in European cities.
They are finding co-operative, Information
Age solutions to challenges in citizen access to
information, in citizen interaction with government, in distance
learning, in health care and in business.
*** Note 6a1 (added June 97): See also an article
"Europeans Challenge Japan and North America" which reports an
expansion of the Bangemann Challenge to the "Global Bangemann
Challenge."
*** Note 6b (added Jan 97): See also an article "UK
Govt Proposes to go Completely On-line" which reports how, by
November of 1996, the U.K. government was proposing a wholesale
change to on-line service delivery of government services. An
extremely well-written "green paper" describes the background,
strategies, and implementation plans for the general reader.
Note 7:From Vision to Action -
Info-Society 2000: Statement to Parliament on "Info-Society
2000" and IT Political Action Plan 1995, Ministry of Research and
Information Technology, Denmark, March 1995.
The following are the Danish Government's political
guidelines for efforts in individual areas (along with the
most important policies) to be achieved in 1995. These are
excerpted from the above report. ... [Or jump directly to Note 8.]
The Electronic Service Network of the Public Sector
Public administration (central, county and municipal
levels) is to be connected in a comprehensive electronic
service network, providing: better service to citizens, better
service to trade and industry and support of their own use of
IT, rationalization gains, and more open decision-making
processes.
Information already supplied by citizens and companies to
one public institution and which can be transmitted
electronically is not to be requested by another public
institution.
Citizens and companies wishing to communicate
electronically with public authorities are to be given this
possibility.
Publication of Lovtidende (the Legal Gazette),
Ministerialtidende and Statstidende (the Official Gazette)
will be made in electronic form as soon as technically
possible and in conformity with user requirements. The
transitional period will end by the year 2000. Over a period
following the transition to electronic form, there may still
be a need for publishing the gazettes in printed form as well.
Public registers with information on persons, companies or
geographical data are to be interrelated to a higher degree
and duplication of registration entries are to be avoided.
Concurrently with the replacement of IT systems, public
institutions are to change gradually from paper-based archives
to electronic processing and filing over the coming years.
The establishment of the electronic network of the public
sector should be seen as a first step towards renewal in the
functioning and interplay between citizens and companies, and
institutions at central, county, and local levels. The
performance of tasks and the division of labor will be
reviewed with the aim to create a simpler and more efficient
interplay with the public sector seen from the point of view
of citizens and companies, involving maximum use of the
rationalization potentials offered by the information
technology ("Business Process Reengineering").
Utilization of Data and Protection of Personal Data
The protection of persons and data should be secured
through modern legislation that makes it possible to register,
transmit and reuse data for all legal, administrative purposes
without the involvement of bureaucratic procedures.
Data in public registers should be utilized to the maximum
by making them available to both the public and private
sectors. Where warranted by considerations of personal
protection, the passing on of data should be made subject to
permission being given by the citizen concerned, e.g. by use
of the electronic Citizen's Card.
Security
IT and telecommunications security are to be an integral
part of the use by public institutions and private companies
of IT systems and telecommunications networks. Users of IT
systems and telecommunications should be confident that data
handled in IT systems and communicated through the
telecommunications networks are at any time protected to the
maximum against breach of confidence, and that the systems
involve data integrity and accessibility.
A Better Health Service Providing Faster Treatments
The aim must be to exploit the outstanding potentials of
the Health Service to obtain better service and more efficient
and faster patient care by using IT for communication and
registration of medical case records and clinical data. Such a
development will support the ongoing large-scale
reorganization of working routines and structures within the
health sector.
The "Global Village" of Research
Danish research must achieve maximum benefit from the
global and national electronic networks for interchange of
research information
In the allocation of Danish research funds, greater
importance must be attached to the strong points within
IT-relevant areas relating to both technology and application.
New Ways In The Educational System
All children should be able to master modern information
technology. Therefore the structure of primary and lower
secondary education must be geared to make IT a natural
element of teaching in the individual subjects. This unique
opportunity of early introduction of IT must be seized, thus
ensuring that teaching is adjusted according to the abilities
of the individual pupil. This is the explicit intention behind
the new legislation on primary and lower secondary schools.
Comprehensive use of IT in the primary and lower secondary
education system is essential to prevent the population from
being split up into winners and losers.
Possibilities of technology-supported education should be
exploited fully with specific focus on adult education and
supplementary vocational training.
Cultural Network Denmark
The presentation of culture by electronic means is aimed at
supplementing and increasing the communication of cultural
experience and cultural knowledge. All cultural institutions
should gradually become participants in an interconnected
cultural electronic network offering the citizen electronic
access to electronic cultural services.
Even in the future - when electronic publications will be
taking over the role of magazines and books - libraries must
maintain a major, intermediary function as providers of public
information to all citizens and they must help the public to
navigate through the increasing flood of information.
The Mass Media Through New Channels
In a world where the electronic media are increasingly
dominated by international channels and producers, it is
essential that a Danish radio and TV public service function
is maintained. The continued production and transmission of
Danish high-quality programs of all kinds must be secured.
Disabled Persons in the Information Society
New IT applications, which may pave the way for greater
integration of disabled persons in society, must be fully
exploited. It should be ensured that the disabled persons'
situation is given due consideration in EU policy on
informatics.
IT - a Means to Improve Traffic Management
The possibilities of using traffic informatics to improve
traffic management, reduce the environmental impact caused by
traffic and improve the service for road - users should be
exploited as they gradually prove practicable.
Network of Companies
Danish companies should become more skilled at using IT
combined with new working routines to improve development,
production, marketing and customer service. Concurrently,
adult education and supplementary training should be
strengthened to prevent non-skilled individuals and people
with a limited education from becoming the losers of the
Info-Society.
Danish companies must be joined together by an electronic
network for the interchange of business documents. Substantial
rationalization gains may achieved in this way and a closer
interplay may be supported.
Together, the private and public sectors are to take
initiatives to enhance the potentials of Danish companies in
relation to the "spearhead" applications of IT. In this
connection Danish companies and public institutions should
more actively engage themselves in the international
standardization work within the IT area in order to further
Danish influence on standards in areas where they have not yet
been carried into effect.
The World's Best And Cheapest Telecom Services
During the period leading up to the year 2000, Denmark,
through a proactive telecommunications policy, will realize
the world's best and cheapest telecommunications services. A
decisive step in this direction will be the full
liberalization to be introduced by January 1, 1998 according
to a decision at EU level. A gradual liberalization and a new
regulatory basis will be introduced to ensure efficient
competition and consumer protection.
Open Network of Society
The computer and telecommunications networks together are
to form a coherent "public network" which will appear to the
average citizen and companies as easy to grasp and as readily
accessible as the telephone system.
The Danish report "The
Information Welfare Society" points out that "clearly there
will be as many information societies as there are societies. All
countries should not try to charge down a single path emulating the
perceived leaders in technological development at any moment in
time. Rather each society will want to use the new technology and
service opportunities to serve its particular priority needs and
values, and so help to shape its future."
Note 9: Other significant Civic, State
or National policy papers on Information Technology and
Telecommunications include the following:
Meeting Citizens' Needs: A Vision for Information
Technologies to Serve Tomorrow's Texans, State of Texas
Strategic Plan for Information Resources, November 1993.
The U.S. Federal Government's National Institute of Standards
and Technology web site provides definitions,
applications, roles, ways to participate and contribute, and
general comments about what other nations are doing concerning
the Global Information Infrastructure. The site also has links
to the complete text of both infrastructure papers.
The U.S. Federal Telecommunications System 2000 (FTS2000) has
prepared an extensive report "Networking for a Reinvented
Government: U.S. Federal Telecommunications Requirements and
Industry Technology Assessment." It assesses current
telecommunication technologies, inventories current and future
needs, and projects acquisition concepts for the late 1990s and
early 2000s. It also evaluates technology impacts on business
process planning strategies, makes traffic forecasts (including
text, voice and video), and describes two futures: an
optimistic-growth future and a pessimistic-growth future.
Conclusions deal with the uncertainty and diversity of
requirements, budgetary constraints, the need for competitive
pricing, the dynamism of the telecommunications market place,
government's role, access by non-government users and citizens,
integration and interoperability, reliability and performance,
and finally pricing.
The U.S. National Performance Review has published
its third report to the President called Common Sense
Government. It tells how many civil servants have started to
make meaningful improvements in how government works. It
describes the kinds of changes we all have been making for
government to work as well as the best organizations. Bob Stone,
Director of the National Performance Review says "this book may
surprise you. ... It will make you feel good to read about the
improvements that are taking place."
Cyberspace and the American Dream: A Magna Carta for the
Knowldege Age from the Progress and Freedom Foundation,
Washington, D.C.
The Minnesota Government Information Access Council web page
contains draft working group reports, including one on
Information Access Principles which closely parallels the
national papers cited here.
Note 10: City Computer Network Study:
Strategic Direction for an Enterprise-wide Network Infrastructure.
Developed in consultation with Integra Analytic Systems Consulting
Corp., Suite 507, 10160-116th Street, Edmonton, T5K 1V9, Tel:
780+496-9856, Fax: 780+488-1291, Mark Huemmert, Consultant.
Note 11: Kevin Savetz has prepared a
page entitled "Savetz's Unofficial Intenet Public Domain Index,"
where he also lists "Other Copyright/Intellectual Property
Resources." This section contains links to the U.S. copyright
office, a copyright FAQ, and "10 big myths about copyright
explained," etc.
Note 12: IBM sponsors a series of white
papers entitled "Living in the Information Society." IBM indicates
that "in the future, we will expand the site to make this the best
forum on the Web for research and dialogue about the impact of
technology on society."
White paper topics include the following:
Understanding The Global Information Infrastructure.
Note 13:See also: "Toward an
Ethics and Etiquette for Electronic Mail," a Rand
Corporation classic by Norman Z. Shapiro and Robert H. Anderson,
dating from 1985. It deals with the use of e-mail, a little of
what is different about it from other communications media, etc.
See also: John Seely Brown's papers "Organizational
Learning
and Communities-of-Practice" and "Mysteries of the Region
Knowledge Dynamics In silicon Valley." In the latter paper,
Brown, Chief Scientist at Xerox, deals with the reasons that
firms within industries tend to locate together, geographically.
He observes that "Knowledge is hard to acquire in a usable form
unless the people who would acquire it engage in the actual
activity or practices of which the knowledge is a part.
Consequently, this [knowledge] doesn't travel indifferently over
digital networks ... as information does. 'Spreading the
practice has not been easy.' And spreading practices [via
co-located communities of practice] is the key to
spreading actionable knowledge."
Note 15: PC network performs benchmark
1 terabyte sort in under an hour. Recently, a world record of two
and half hours for the same sort was established by a shared-memory
supercomputer. Sorting is the commercial computing world's benchmark
defining the speeds required for manipulating very large amounts of
data quickly. In November, 1998, a cluster of Compaq PCs did the job
in a mere 50 minutes. An article "The Power of the Plebeian" in "The
Rapidly Changing Face of Computing" has the details, along with
links to relevant news releases, etc.
Note 99: Some miscellaneous notes
related to Telecommunications Strategic Planning. These items may be
useful during the planning processes.
15% of the world population has 71% of the installed phone
lines.
South America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia are furthest
behind.
China has 3 lines/100 people in 1995. They are going to
increase that to 8 lines/100 people by the year 2000. That will
involve installing a network the size of Bell Canada every
year for the next five years!
The U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australia have 45 or
more lines/100 people installed.
Over 50% of the world's population have never used a
telephone. "If the world were a village of 100 people, only 14
would have a telephone, and just one would be on-line." - Sir
Peter Bonfield, on the "Technology: boon or bane to quality of
life?" page (1999).
A single optical fiber now carries 80,000 simultaneous
telephone conversations. Soon, 320,000 will be carried
simultaneously by a pair of fibers.
The printing press revolutionized society several centuries
ago despite the facts that the proportion of the population that
could read was smaller than it is today, and that many could not
afford to own books.
The World-Wide Web Vitrual Library, Communication
and Telecommunications section, Policy and Regulation page. This
page contains a list of national policy statements from Denmark,
Holland, Australia, India and others.
The National Library of Australia, page on Government Policy
and the Information Superhighway contains a good list of
national policy pages from Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan,
Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
"... economies across Canada and around the world are
increasingly being driven by knowledge and the ability to use
ideas, information and technology to drive decisions and
develop new markets, products and services. Quite simply, we
are in an information age, an age where ideas and knowledge
are the keys to success."
"Albertans understand that the only sustainable advantage
in today's economy comes from what you know and how fast you
can put it to use."
See also: Ireland's national response to the
Information Age. An Advisory Committee on Telecommunications was
established by Ms. Mary O'Rourke, T.D., Minister for Public
Enterprise in June, 1998. The Committee ... was charged with the
task of advising the Minister, by the end of 1998, on a
strategy to position Ireland as a key global centre in
advanced telecommunications, the Internet and electronic
commerce. It is now formally submitting comprehensive
recommendations aimed at:
creating a fully open and internationally competitive
telecommunications market that will stimulate investment in
advanced information infrastructure and services in Ireland;
ensuring that Ireland becomes a global leader in the growth
of information-based employment and in the formation of
Internet-based industries and electronic commerce; and
enabling all Irish citizens to have access to and to
participate fully in the Information Society.
Together, these reports are some of the very best statements
of the strategic issues of the late 1990s that I have seen. They
have all the right topics, many of the right emphases and is a
very comprehensive description for the general reader about the
importance of being ready for and involved in the digital
revolution.
Report of the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications to
the Minister for Public Enterprise.
Report TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Executive Summary
Section 1: Membership, mandate and objectives.
Section 2: The global environment
Section 3: Ireland: a knowledge intensive economy
Section 4: The Irish information infrastructure
Section 5: Enabling electronic commerce
Section 6: Entrepreneurship and skills
Section 7: Recommendations
Appendix I: Presentations to the Committee
Glossary of Terms
A Backgrounder (a very good description of the context) for
the Report of the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications.
Backgrounder's TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The Internet - a brief outline of functionalities
The convergence phenomenon
Electronic commerce - opportunities for business
Electronic commerce in practice
Policy Questions in relation to electronic commerce
Ireland-US Joint Communiqué on Electronic Commerce
"Critical Foundations:
Thinking Differently," a report of The President's
Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection. This report
points out that "the defenses and responsibilities naturally
encouraged and expected as prudent business practice for owners
and operators of our infrastructures are the very same measures
needed to protect against the cyber tools available to
terrorists and other threats to national security." It advocates
new thinking to deal with the new rules the information age has
fostered. "We are quite convinced that our vulnerabilities are
increasing steadily while the costs associated with an effective
attack continue to drop."
A Summary of the report, including their major findings,
conclusions and recommendations is on-line.
A Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection (CCIP)
website has been mounted.
"Sweat
About the Threat," [cookies (cookie caution)]
an article in CIO Magazine
[cookies (cookie
caution)] covers the FBI's National Infrastructure
Protection Center (NIPC; welcome from Michael Vatis, Chief of
the National Infrastructure Protection Center) in Washington,
and describes "the federal government's new, first line of
defense against those who would wage what has been termed
"information warfare"—attacks against strategic computer systems
by terrorists armed not with explosives and firearms but with
PCs and modems."
See also: an insightful article entitled "TommorowLand,"
[cookies
(cookie caution)]
in
the December, 1998 issue of CIO WebBusiness Magazine,
[cookies (cookie
caution)] Disney's on-line guru Bran Ferren talks about
CIOs, the Web and the costs of being behind the curve for
business, government agencies or educational institutions. "The
key decision makers have to get in the game and be on-line. If
you cannot understand the behaviors, likes and needs of your
customers, you're being isolated from the critically important
community you need to reach," he says. "You get the arguments,
'Well, there are people spending hundreds of hours a week
downloading [inappropriate] sites.' My attitude is that if their
supervisor didn't notice some deterioration in their performance
because they're spending a hundred hours a week on [an
inappropriate] site, then there is a more fundamental management
problem within the company. ... [And] at the same time, [other]
arguments are, 'We have to supply all that bandwidth.' Yes, you
do. And you have to supply an infrastructure that will support
it and so forth, just as you do a mail system, just as you do a
telephone system and just as you do heating, ventilating,
air-conditioning and light."
.
But, the interviewer asks, "if a company does those things, what
can it expect to get in return?"
.
"It can expect to be in the game. Without doing that, you're not
in the game. Once you're in the game, then it's going to be based
upon the skills and competency of your people, how they're
organized and how the leadership of the company directs and
redirects the vision of the company to embrace it. You can't
even begin that process unless your people are wired and are
participating in that community." Of course, these days,
"your people" means every member of the staff, every member of
management and every member of the board. Every enterprise, Ferren
continues, should be adopting an Internet-like model for how it
structures its information management and knowledge management
systems. In order to do that effectively, everybody needs to be
very familiar with how the on-line world operates, what it
expects, what works, what doesn't work, and how it all can be
exploited for the business benefit of the enterprise.
See also: "Supporting MN's Information
Infrastructure," the State of Minnesota's Information
Infrastructure Working Group's report to state Governor Arne H.
Carlson which is also very forward-looking. To quote from its
proposed vision: "By the year 2000 Minnesota Will Be the
Acknowledged Leader in the Use of Information Technologies for
the Benefit of All its Citizens."
See also: the Rand Corporation's extensive research
report "Universal
Access
to E-mail: Feasibility and Societal Implications," a summary
of which is also available. Their conclusions indicate that
e-mail should be made universally available in the U.S., and
that such an effort would have a solid democratizing effect
throughout the developed world.
See also: the Synthesis
web journal [cookies (cookie caution)]
in which Robert Whyte's paper "Developing
Effective Strategies in a Rapidly Changing and Highly
Uncertain Global economy" identifies three fundamental
trends to be considered: (1) richer and more sophisticated
consumers, (2) political and economic liberalisation and
deregulation and (3) rapid and widespread technological
development and application. He points out that these need to be
considered in three concentric environments: (1) our own
corporate organizational environment, (2) our transactional
environment with customers, suppliers and markets, and (3) the
contextual environment of shifting demographics, globalization,
etc. Also, in the Synthesis
web journal [cookies (cookie caution)]
Eamonn Kelly asks (and answers) "The
Knowledge Age: just a fad, or fundamental change?"
EducatorLabs
(Mission
and Vision) post a tonne of good leads and ideas for
educators and others. They have a small team of retired
educators and librarians who volunteer their time helping
others. The primary role of this team is to fill resource
requests that come from educators every day on a variety
of topics. This website is definitely worth a stop for solid
information.
This report prepared by Chet Meek and others. We acknowledge the
able assistance of many who contributed good ideas and made
suggestions. We welcome the further comments and suggestions of any
who are willing to give us their views. E-mail and other contact
information may be found below.
.
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