Definition

1. 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

1. an extensive electronic network (such as the internet) used for the rapid transfer of sound and video and graphics in digital form