ABSTRACT
By reclassifying existing occupations into a newly created information sector, Porat was able to argue that the US was already an information society. It will provide a wide range of communication modes and access to services. The net result is that the range of information provided through the new technology in many ways is narrower than it was when the printing press became a universal tool for self expression. One of the most astonishing aspects of the pay TV debate in Australia was that it focused so much upon systems-satellite vs fibre optic; Optus vs AOTC; networks vs new players-rather than upon services for which customers would choose to pay. The fact that competition is focused on the high volume, long-distance commercial telecommunications market-and that domestic prices for local calls have been steadily rising-does not make it against the public interest.
