Avoiding Collisions on the Information Super-Highway
By Alfred G. Ferris

You've all heard about it; more importantly, consumers have heard all about it: the bright future of telecommunications. Order any movie you want, anytime you want. Play the latest video games. Do your banking from home. Instead of shopping at the mall, turn on your TV. There will be dozens maybe hundreds of new video channels on subjects from gardening to golfing to gourmet cuisine. Video text, thousands of data bases, interactivity, video phone, all on one screen, will amount to a multi-media bazaar. You know it as that future Garden of Eden, the "Information Super-Highway."

Everyone is looking forward to increased choice and convenience, but how and when will this happen? Who will deliver these services? How will they be paid for? What are the legal rules of the road? Cable television, the regional Bell telephone companies, alternative telephone service providers, commercial access providers, direct broadcast satellite services, equipment and software manufacturers, and other competing technologies are jockeying toward the on-ramp of the information super-highway, and it promises to be a bumpy ride. With convergence between these technologies inevitable, each of these competing industries must convince consumers that they can best provide telephony, entertainment, data and other forms of information and communication at a competitive price. As each of these competitors position themselves to be the leader in these new technologies, they would be well advised to avoid information super-hype. In order to realize and be the beneficiaries of tomorrow's high-technology opportunities, they must be realistic about today's promises.

Perhaps, even more important than the technology side is the legislative and regulatory area. The FCC, Congress, state legislatures, state public utility commissions, and local government are each seeking a slice of the regulatory pie and will play vital roles in development of telecommunications policy. The FCC, however, will continue to be paramount for the foreseeable future in the ongoing regulation of the competing industries. Competitors will have to learn how to operate and prosper in this increasingly intrusive legislative and regulatory landscape [some might say "nightmare"]. In particular, as cable television companies, the regional Bell operating companies, and direct broadcast satellite companies invest sums exceeded only by the Federal government budget in upgraded technology to enter new markets and each other's markets, understanding and successfully responding to the issues raised by such intrusive multi-level regulation, will become crucial in establishing and benefiting from a real level playing field environment. City, state and federal officials, as well as the industries which are driving on the information super-highway, must find effective ways of working together in both regulated and unregulated environments in ways that are mutually beneficial. This is a massive challenge.

The winners in this road race are impossible to predict at this time. But the stakes are enormous. And one thing is certain, the winners are likely to be the companies which assemble the most talented and skilled managers, employees, consultants and professionals to assist them on their way to the finish line. History demonstrates that the future belongs to the entrepreneurs who are the best prepared and most adequately advised for the future.

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