INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

As highways made out of concrete help people to physically transport themselves and their goods from one place to another, the Information Superhighway, (made out of telephones, computers, satellites, and other communication devices), helps people and businesses remain in contact with one another. The Information Superhighway is a phrase that describes the expansion of digital telecommunications, involving more and more people: locally, nationally, and globally. This superhighway, whether it involves making a cellular phone call to a friend, or e-mailing a business to order a product, is leading us in a direction of increasingly easier communication without regard for borders. The development of new methods, such as the Internet, to share information has triggered a revolution in global telecommunications. It began in the 1950s and continued to make dramatic and high-speed changes in the ways we communicate throughout the twentieth century. With each evolution in telecommunications technology, the Information Superhighway has grown in size, improving the connections between individuals and businesses next door and around the world.

See also: Internet

information superhighway Informal Any form of high-speed computer network, especially the Internet. See also National Information Infrastructure.