Technology independent 3. Decentralized operations 5. Appropriate architecture 6. In discussing the building blocks it is convenient to focus on a series of questions for each block. To make these considerations concrete, we present an example for the information providers to the network building block.
Providers are firms who supply access, data, and other services to the user.
Providers must decide between being open to all who pay for access or catering to specific interest groups. How do providers give access to a variety of groups including those who are economically disadvantaged. Providers with international access must take language and culture into account. How much bandwidth does the provider offer. What education and professional skills will be required of users.