ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the potentially new kind of universal service, especially as it relates to technology development, regulatory change, and considerations of citizens' rights to information. Major advances in telecommunications and computing technologies, along with the coalescence of the two, have greatly increased the capability of the public telecommunications network over the past thirty years. These advances have made it possible to increase services beyond basic voice and to develop the so-called "intelligent network'' through which expanded services are delivered. The rapid advances in the intelligent network are placing serious strains on the regulatory framework. The chapter provides the debate by raising issues associated with expanding universal service to include content and connectivity. The possibility of expanded universal service raises a host of questions, including what kinds of information should be universally accessible, whether it should be accessible in the home or central information nodes similar to libraries, and whether users should be charged for access time.
