European policy with regard to the European information highways (EIH): a critical analysis

SUMMARY

In this article I will not go into the details of technological patterns with regard to the European information highways (EIH). I will concentrate immediately on the main problematic areas in the European Union's (EU) vision of the realisation of EIH. The totality of these problems will lead me to the conclusion that if the EU wants its EIH to become reality it will have to change its policy, which at present is based on two assumptions: that competition is the best environment for creating the EIH; and that a huge demand is to be expected for all kinds of new services, especially broadcasting services.

From our perspective there are four general problem areas and a fifth which is specific to the European Community (EC). They are interrelated and therefore contradictory to the EU's assumptions about its EIH.