| Political Environment |
| In developed nations around the world, governments made strategic "information highway" investments, led the formation of networking standards, and most importantly, set the rules for competitive play in the marketplace. |
| In the United States, the Modified Final Judgment (MFJ) was overhauled creating a level playing field for network providers allowing telephone companies and cable companies to compete fairly in all aspects of providing phone and television services. This prompted a wave of giga-mergers. The mergers in the United States expanded across the globe, leading to the worldwide infostructure being controlled by a small number of loosely regulated mega-companies. |
| However, the U.S. government was unable to deal successfully on other major issues. The Supreme Court rulings steadfastly refused to address the needs for simplified intellectual property, copyright legislation, and data security. The Court's rulings have, for the most part, been prompted by its concern that any simplification would introduce far too much industry bias into a system that appears to teeter in a kind of marketplace equilibrium. |
| U.S. government also refused to assume responsibility for assuring access to all individuals at a reasonable cost, as was done for telephone and electric service. All attempts at creating a type of Rural Multimedia Authority have failed. |