The Electronic Identity
                             by
                       Robert Parson

                      Oh yes, you will


     By now, I'm sure you've seen the ads from A.T. & T. touting
their vision of the future.  The television ads are so warm and
furry.  A woman enters a phone booth and calls home, "Tuck your
baby in from a phone?  You will."  They also take the opportunity
to touch on the educational aspects of two way video
communications.

     Putting aside the Orwellian aspects of this campaign, it does
make us excited about the future of communications.  Much of the
technology already exists.  But it is cumbersome and bulky.

     Fiber optics has aided the evolution to a large degree.  For
instance, many colleges and universities now have classes that are
conducted by television in real time, allowing students in
Fareaches, Nevada to ask questions of a Professor who is lecturing
from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

     The problem is not necessarily hardware or software
inadequacies. Those will be solved in time.  The real problem is
one of jurisdiction.  Who is going to be in charge of getting
these wonderful advancements into our schools and homes?

     A.T. & T.'s advertising campaign is an aggressive move on
their part to leave the impression at least that they are the
leader in interactive communications.  Are they?  Possibly.

     What about the nation's largest cable company, TCI?  They are
planning on spending billions of dollars to build up their
systems. Are they the leader?  Possibly.

     What about the Regional Bell Operating Companies?  They have
direct access into roughly 98% of the nation's homes.  They are
working on interactive video communications.  Are they the
leaders? Possibly.

     What about Microsoft?  It appears they are working with
everyone to develop software for coming communications revolution.
Is it the leader?  Possibly.

     Are you really going to be able to learn to tune up your car
from a mechanic in Oslo, Norway?  You will.

     Are you confused?  You should be.

     Should you be confused?  No.

     We really don't even need to worry over it.  As with any
technological advance, this is an evolutionary process.  The
pieces will fall together and eventually we will be able to do
what we want when we want to.  Everyone will carve out their
section of the pie. We as consumers will be able to eat from that
pie with few, if any problems.

     Over ten years ago when the federal courts broke up the Bell
system, the biggest problem for consumers was over who our long
distance vendor would be.  Interactive Communications will be much
the same, although we likely have our choice of who will provide
access lines to the outside world.

     For many of us, we have two lines coming into our homes for
communications-- our local phone line and coax for our cable
service. Sometime over the next ten to twenty years, we will have
our choice of who will provide one wire for all our communications
needs.

     A ruling in August could be a turning point as far as local
access is concerned.  A federal judge in Alexandria, VA ruled that
Bell Atlantic could provide video programming in many areas now
served by only one cable company.  Bell Atlantic had argued that
preventing them from entering the cable market violated their
First Amendment right to free speech.  The Justice Department
hasn't decided yet whether to appeal the decision.

     Before now, the RBOCs were prohibited from offering cable
services in areas where they provide local phone service, although
they could provide cable services outside their phone service
area. Even though the ruling immediately affects only one phone
company, the decision could very well impact the other Baby Bells.

     What does Bell Atlantic have planned?  Using fiber optics,
they want to provide telephone and cable to residents in
Alexandria.  This system, Bell Atlantic Video Services, will begin
to supersede the Bell Atlantic system within the next 18 months
barring any other legal roadblocks.

----
     McCaw Cellular was recently gobbled up by A.T. & T.  This
makes A.T. & T. the nation's largest cellular provider.  Expect
A.T. & T. to use this as part of their move into wireless
interactivity.

     "Time" Magazine is now available on America Online.  The
issue normally available at newsstands on Mondays will be
available online the day before.  "Time" editors and writers will
also be available to readers through electronic mail.  As far as I
can tell, only "Time" and USA TODAY are the only national media
sources available in online versions without a delay of some sort.

     A study by Dell Computer says 55 percent of those responding
resist taking advantage of new technology.  One fourth of the
adults surveyed have never used a computer, set a VCR or even
programmed a car radio for their favorite stations!  This is what
the cable and phone companies will be battling during the
communications revolution.

     A weird virus struck on August 16th.  The face of Elvis
Presley popped up on computer screens on the anniversary of the
death of Presley.  Global-Intelligence Company of Lemon Grove,
California says the virus was contained in a program called "Vital
Draw," and was harmless.  Oh?  A harmless virus?  It may not have
damaged any data, but what about the fear it caused users?  How
about the lost productivity caused while users tried to find
damage that did not occur?  Sorry, there is no such thing as a
"harmless" virus.


                                        (c) 1993 Robert Parson