My Administration is working in partnership with many organizations, businesses, and individuals to use technology to improve American education. Vice President Gore and I want to ensure that all children have access to the Information Superhighway by the year 2000 with computers and the finest educational software. By signing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we have taken an important step toward connecting classrooms and libraries to the Information Superhighway. We are pleased that young people across the country are learning in ways that we never dreamed of as children. This is an exciting time in our nation's history, and I hope that you will continue to learn about the latest discoveries in computer technology and seek new educational opportunities.
Some networks involve just a few computers, while others involve many.
By using computers connected to the same network, people can send each other e-mail messages and exchange files. For example, scientists and researchers can share their work with colleagues through the computer instead of relying on phone calls, fax transmissions, or regular mail to transfer documents and other information. In fact, the Internet was developed especially for that purpose. The Internet is a large network that connects tens of thousands of smaller networks. Created by the Unted States Department of Defense in the 1960s, the Internet provides a way for groups of computers to pool information, creating paths on what we now call the Information Superhighway.