Year: 1995
Type: article
Abstract: Because of its economic and social significance, information technology (IT) is increasingly the focus of national policy aimed at carving out a niche for local industry in the global production system.Debate rages over government intervention versus private sector leadership, and over policies for production versus use, sometimes missing the fact that these dual aspects are interrelated and mutually reinforcing.This article discusses the dilemma of national policy formation for information technology (IT) in the context of the information superhighway initiative, or national information infrastructure (NII), in the United States.It reviews the technological forces shaping the convergence of computers and communications, describes current and future services on the information superhighway, outlines the major service providers and the markets at stake, and concludes with some implications for the information superhighway for national competitiveness.It notes that multinational corporations are moving ahead on NII whether governments do so or not.In order not to be left behind, governments need to ensure local industry is part of mainstream developments, stimulate institutional learning in order to use the new technologies, and assess the fit of country business practices with international norms and standards.
Authors: John Leslie King, Kenneth L. Kraemer
Institution: University of California, Irvine
Language: English
Topic: ICT Impact and Policies
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2106733047