TOWARD THE PLURALISTIC NETWORK OF THE FUTURE

Telecommunications are moving away from monopoly and toward a pluralistic system. Driven by the growth of private networks, international "electronic neighborhoods" are springing up linking groups with shared economic interests, and opening the door to personal networks. In the U.S., the key task resulting from this process is to balance diversification with technical integration. The answer, says the author, is a triply integrated services digital network - I3SDN - that inter-connects the various networks, including broadband media such as cable TV and broadcasting, into an interoperating whole.