You will see that the boss's office door is closed and that Ellen is already on the phone. You can discuss a new idea with a visitor you run into in the hall or in a casual room. The possibilities for telecommuting from your home or office will take on a new meaning. The benefits of this virtual office will be offered to the public at large, creating a new social context for communities. VANs will incorporate the interactive technology which was developed for multi-user computer games.
VANs serve a number of community, business and social functions.
Chance encounters, social interaction and multiple public sites will create a virtual site that will closely resemble being together. The system connects over 100 physicians with 4 M bps Zenith modems on the local cable television network. MDES uses two cable channels which are not accessable to the public. It is approximately 11 miles between farthest points. Mr. Langley reports that his company is interested in expanding to other communities.