As this edition of the Quarterly is readied for the printer, another indication of the power of the Institute's research and its position in the new Internet communication age comes to light. CNET, one of the world's leading Internet outlets for information and news relating to the world of high tech, communication, and the Internet, published a detailed report on Internet usage and availability around the world. In the section describing Israel, the CNET report dutifully notes that "Israel is a world leader in the development of Internet applications." To make this point, the report quotes from Israel's Ministry of Communications touting the party line about Israel's "brain trust" of scientists and technicians as the source of this development.

But CNET is far too professional and serious an organization to leave it at that. Having researched the state of Internet access for Israeli consumers and businesses, CNET reports: "But while Israel is very good at creating Internet technology, many complain that it hasn't been so good at providing reasonable Internet access to its people. One million people use the Net in Israel, but fees are high and connections are slow. A study by the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies in Jerusalem estimates that the combination of bloated fees, slow connections, and the resulting lost work and leisure hours cost Israeli users $100 million in 1998."

The rest of the report consisted of IASPS-researched statistics and the Ministry of Communications trying to explain why soon it won't be so bad. 

CNET didn't need to contact IASPS by phone or by fax to write this report. It didn't need to be on the Institute's mailing list. It need only have keyed in "Israel and Internet" on its search engine to have found the IASPS website. Once there, it found a wealth of information, facts and analysis. When it read Fellow Amir Etzioni's research on the Internet, it knew it had hit pay dirt. (If you're interested in reading the CNET report, visit www.iasps.org

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