A proposed, advanced, seamless web of public and private
communications networks, interactive services, interoperable
hardware and
software, computers, databases, and consumer electronics to put vast amounts of
information at users' fingertips. Note: NII includes more than just the physical facilities (more than the cameras, scanners, keyboards, telephones, fax machines, computers, switches, compact disks,
video and audio tape,
cable, wire, satellites,
optical fiber transmission lines,
microwave nets, switches, televisions, monitors, and printers) used to transmit, store, process, and display voice,
data, and images; it encompasses a wide range of interactive functions,
user-tailored services, and
multimedia databases that are interconnected in a technology-neutral manner that will favor no one industry over any other. Synonym information superhighway.