The National Information Infrastructure

The National Information Infrastructure, (NII) which is currently being developed by the U.S. government, has the ability to provide all Americans with access to any information whenever they need it. Along with this goal of accessibility, builders of the NII hope to provide its services for a relatively low cost, which will enable any individual or group to reap the benefits of electronic networks. Obviously the development and implementation of such an infrastructure will prove expensive. Thus the developers of the NII are institutions like major corporations, mass media and the military, which have large amounts of capital and a desire to benefit from their investment.

The federal government claims that it will encourage private sector involvement in the creation of a national electronic network, and already "Both cable companies and the telephone companies want to lay claim to the NII and both seem overly optimistic (Lake 2)." Indeed, the most powerful driving force behind the NII is the potential for economic growth. But will commercialism and marketing take the place of what could be the most comprehensive database of information ever formed?

Government and citizens alike need to monitor the building of the NII to ensure that it remains a concept aimed at enhancing democracy. For the NII to become a true public sphere, it cannot be limited to the relatively exclusive groups which currently peruse the Internet. Computer prices need to drop and civic facilities like libraries should offer free access to the network. This would ensure that society is not divided along class lines by technology. In addition, technological education should be offered (perhaps even within the national school curriculum) to all people, so that 'information discrimination' does not occur.

Communication between individuals in the NII must also remain free of external coercion because inevitably government will attempt to regulate discourse on the system. Citizens have to make sure that their privacy is not impinged upon by the state. If all these principles are followed, America could see the emergence of a new type of participatory democracy which levels the realm of discourse for all groups.

But the prospect of a virtual society in which members have equal voice and access remains dim.

"If properly designed and implemented, (the NII) can promote widespread prosperity, decentralize power, revitalize democracy and make this a better world in which to live. If poorly designed and implemented, it can do just the opposite (Miller 2)."

Postmodernists rightly hold the fear that instead of liberating us, extensive technologies like the National Information Infrastructure can in fact place us under greater control by societal institutions. While electronic technologies have the capacity to undermine government regulation of discourse, the state could use certain facets of the NII to re-establish its own power over citizens. In addition, as electronic networks become more essential to the functioning of our lives, the potential for numbing commercial saturation looms. Without active participation by individuals and communities, the NII could become simply another type of broadcast media, resembling an advanced form of television.