Judging from the ferment in the computer industry, it is safe to assume that major restructuring will inevitably occur. Again, this should come as no surprise. Most of the equipment, most of the service that will be bought five years from now hasn't yet been deployed, hasn't yet been built. New conglomerates, new joint ventures, are going to emerge to build the new infrastructure. All we can anticipate with confidence is that demand for digital bandwidth will continue growing very fast, for many years to come.
Digital bandwidth is now the most important economic commodity in the United States.
It is the key to growth and prosperity. The computer industry's fortunes depend on it. The productivity of both labor and capital are, in turn, irrevocably linked to the growth of the digital infrastructure. Whether you manufacture cars or newspapers, whether you supply electricity or medical services, digital bandwidth will be a key input to your business, and a vital component of your consumption. And once it's been permitted, it may get forbidden again.