Mr Pixel Goes to Washington

A Look to the Horizon

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Earlier in these comments, I noted that it is important to remember that we are right on the edge of the frontier of the 3D web, and that there are many parallels to the ways in which the 2D web unfolded over the last 15 years. We have many challenges to solve, some technological, but others in the realms of policy, business models, and access. The prevailing view among my colleagues is that the large part of these can be solved most easily by simply letting the visionaries and entrepreneurs working in these fields do what they do well — continue to innovate.

At the same time, there are always things government can and should do for the good of its citizens, and there are moments when leadership and action on the part of government is critically needed. As I noted earlier, when our nation has stood on the edge of opportunity in the past, we have been privileged to have had leaders with the vision to allow us to capitalize on it. This is one of those times, and we sorely need that sort of leadership right now.

What can Congress do?

First is to explicitly recognize that increasingly, telecommunications and the Internet are the same thing. For many of us, our phones are already our portal to the Internet, and in an industry that produces a billion mobile phones a year, that is fast becoming the norm. The devices themselves are already far more powerful and capable than the networks that connect them. We need regulations that decouple cell phones from calling plans and promote the growth of a truly world class wireless infrastructure.

From that starting point, we need a range of action informed by vision and clarity of purpose. What is needed most are these five things:

• programs that will spur the technical development of the 3D Internet
• programs that add capacity to the woeful state of our information infrastructure and bring it to the communities and neighborhoods that currently have no or very poor access to broadband services
• policies that require data and cellular networks to deliver the bandwidths and speeds needed to easily access these technologies
• programs to ensure that educational institutions and students at all levels have the resources required to take full advantage of the potential of the 3D web
• programs and policies to encourage entrepreneurs to develop effective business models for this new frontier

Beyond those vitally important actions, what is further needed is for government to engage the technology, to model effective uses of virtual worlds, and to promote programs and services that truly tap its potential to bring people together. This subcommittee, which focuses uniquely on the special issues embedded in telecommunications and the Internet, is the perfect place to start.

Imagine a future where conversations like this could be routinely held in a virtual world, where we understood that the technology not only provided the setting and forum for dialog, but was also seen as an energy-saving strategy, a cost-saving strategy, a boon to the environment, and a way to engage citizens directly in complete safety.

Imagine a future where complex scenarios like those that occur in emergency response or homeland security situations could be practiced over and over, just as pilots train to fly in unpredictable weather conditions.

Imagine a future in which learners did not just read about scientific and mathematical principles, or simply solve problems and equations, but were able to see and manipulate them in real time and space — a future where the elegance, beauty, and consummate practical applications of these disciplines are easy to see.

Imagine a future in which the disabled, sick, or simply frail easily interact with able-bodied people on the same terms, with the choice to set the wearying challenges of their conditions aside, or to join with others just like themselves — a future where even the autistic can find a voice, and barriers of illness or infirmity fall away, even if only for a time.

That future is here today. Each of these scenarios can be matched to the work that hundreds of talented passionate people are doing right now in Second Life, and the extraordinary things they are accomplishing highlight the profound potential of this technology.

The future of virtual worlds that is yet to unfold is one that promises an exponential leap over what is possible with the technology today. Cinematic quality graphics are just over the horizon, as well as seamless integration with business and other applications. Advances in social operating systems, mobile devices, and wireless technology will extend the 3D web in ways that will weave it transparently throughout our lives. That web will connect us to each other, to goods and services, and to knowledge and information in ways we can only begin to imagine today.

We stand at the frontier of that soon-to-come future today, and before us lies opportunity in every direction. Let’s make the most of this moment.

Thank you for allowing me this time to reflect on its profound potential with you.