The current government is planning to deregulate the Australian telecommunications industry in 1997. PADDs are just about technically possible now. I carry with me a pocket modem and transfer data to and from remote systems. The wireless modem in an affordable, practical size and speed is perhaps a year or so away. Most of my work for the ACS is organised via the Internet.
Cafes currently have more expresso machines than computers, but that is changing.
Well Connected , the nearest cybercafe and used their Internet connection to prepare some urgent work. An increasing part of my full time job at the Defence Department is now done on-line. In January Defence announced that it was providing an information service for industry via the Internet. Other Government agencies have similar initiatives and our private enterprise colleagues are following close behind. There are proposals for net regulation and some bar talk of Internet political parties.