ABSTRACT

Improving computer and telecommunications facilities is only one part of the problem that planners face in reshaping the Soviet economy. Barring some monumental mistakes, the coming decade should see a significant improvement in telecommunications and other computer-related resources in ways that can improve economic performance and, by definition, military capabilities. Given the Soviet penchant for secrecy, it is hard to determine the exact extent of computer and telecommunications resources or plans for future expansion. The expansion of computer and telecommunications facilities could foster a more open environment, leading to the fragmentation of present control systems and the beginnings of a more productive, less repressive society. The subject is important enough to warrant a continuing look at the possibilities for influencing Soviet patterns in ways that can diffuse East-West tensions and nudge the USSR toward a more constructive political and economic role in the international community.