A Communications Facility for Problem-Solving 

 N etworks . Over the longer term, other possibilities 

 for using U. S. satellite technology may become cost- 

 effective; for example, to improve communications 

 within international networks of geographically 

 dispersed individuals and organizations that share 

 common missions, interests, or activities. The 

 effectiveness of networks can be increased markedly by 

 facilities that allow for improved national and 

 transnational communication among problem solvers to 

 attain more efficient sharing of data, information, and 

 expertise. 



Bringing information to bear on problem-solving is 

 complex, and simplistic solutions such as subsidizing 

 the establishment of document depositories are 

 inadequate. Several other lines of cooperative 

 activities are indicated if the results are to make a 

 difference in the quality of decision making. These 

 include: (1) providing more accurate local data; (2) 

 making recorded information known and available in 

 usable form such as knowledge generated worldwide by 

 research and development, reference data, standards, 

 case studies, and models; (3) providing international 

 person-to-person communication facilities to permit 

 more extensive contacts beween individuals and agencies 

 with related interests; and (f») creating a local 

 environment capable of receiving data and information 

 and bringing them to bear on problems. 



We suggest that the United States study the 

 feasibility of using modern commercial or other 

 communication systems, possibly through a joint 

 public/private intermediary, to support the networks 

 recommended in many places in this report. 



Technical designs and cost estimates remain to be 

 carried out, but current developments indicate that a 

 number of components will be available commercially in 

 the not too distant future to meet the technical 

 requirements for such systems. For example: 



Satellite Business Systems (SBS — a partnership of 

 IBM, COMSAT General Corporation, and The Aetna 

 Casualty and Surety Company) expects to offer voice 

 and data transmission facilities, including 

 document facsimile transmission, in January 1981. 



— Western Union and RCA currently provide special 

 satellite communication services using earth 

 stations that transmit and receive voice and data 

 messages directly through small diameter antennas. 



— American Satellite (AMSAT) is scheduled to market 

 in mid- 1978 voice/data communication services, also 

 using small diameter antennas. A dynamic mix of 

 voice and data communication, a sharing of channel 

 capacity by multiple users, and accommodation of a 



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