information superhighway
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An extensive electronic network (such as the internet) used for the rapid transfer of sound and video and graphics in digital form: The term "information superhighway" refers to a large-scale, high-speed digital telecommunications infrastructure that facilitates the widespread and fast exchange of multimedia information.
Usage
- The term is used to describe a conceptual global network enabling seamless digital communication and data transfer.
- It often carries a futuristic or aspirational connotation, emphasizing speed, capacity, and accessibility.
- While historically synonymous with the internet, it can also refer to proposed or envisioned networks with greater capabilities.
Examples
- Noun:
- Politicians in the 1990s often spoke about building the information superhighway to connect every home and business.
- The concept of the information superhighway revolutionized how we think about communication and data access.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is sometimes used metaphorically to discuss the foundational role of high-speed digital networks in modern society.
- In his speech, the CEO described the company's new fiber-optic grid as a private information superhighway for the industrial park.
- It can appear in discussions about digital divides, referring to inequalities in access to such networks.
- Bridging the gap to ensure all communities have access to the information superhighway remains a critical challenge.
Variants and Related Words
- Infobahn (n): A synonym, derived from German (), also meaning a high-speed information network.
- Digital highway (n): A similar term emphasizing the digital nature of the network.
- Cyberspace (n): The notional environment where communication over computer networks occurs, often overlapping with the concept of the information superhighway.
Synonyms
- The Net: A common informal term for the internet.
- The Web: Short for the World Wide Web, a major service on the internet.
- Digital network: A general term for interconnected digital telecommunications systems.
Related Phrases
- On-ramp to the information superhighway: A phrase describing the means or point of access to the network.
- Public libraries provide a vital on-ramp to the information superhighway for those without home internet.
Notes on Meaning
- The term "information superhighway" was particularly prevalent in the 1990s during the early commercialization and expansion of the internet. Its usage has declined as the internet itself became a mundane, ubiquitous utility, though it remains a useful term for conceptual discussions about telecommunications infrastructure.
Noun
- an extensive electronic network (such as the internet) used for the rapid transfer of sound and video and graphics in digital form