Report urges limited start on viewdata

Press, 2 September 1980, Page 6

Report urges limited start on viewdata

■PA Wellington! ?■/; A limited viewdata service for business purposes should be introduced in New Zea-land-without delay, the Government’s Communications Advisory / Council recomin. a/ ; report released yesterday. ■ ./ /.. But it emphasises the needi < for much more detailed study of the social and business] consequences before any; viewdata system is allowed] to/develop on a large scale. enables ,/sub-' scribers to call up /inforrna- : tion on a television set from • computer information banks, | known as databases, using] j.the telephone network. The only public viewdata' -system in use according to the council, is the Government run Prestol service established in the United Kingdom by the British Post Office. ■- / '•The council 1 has; recom;mended that New Zealand adopt an advance on the Prestel system that is planned for

introduction in West Germany next year. ‘ ■ The main difference is that the West German system provides access to both Government and private databases, ■'allowing a much greater ini volvement by .' private companies. The Post Office would play a key role in such a system, i acting as a switch agency and I having the facility to control [development in relation to | available telephone capacity. Such a system would also allow the Government a high : degree of control through legislation covering, for example 'privacy issues. In a report prepared after what some groups criticised as rushed hearings “in May and June this year, the council further recommends: / — Moves to set technical standards and to make other legal and administrative preparations ; should begin at once.