The arrival of information age—coinciding with that of the new millennium—is a consequence of the convergence of communications, computers, and the content. The industrial age brought prosperity but did not bridge economic disparities. Access to knowledge or information is now considered the tool for removing disparities—not only between nations but also individuals. Knowledge or information would thus be truly the new source of power in the information age.

Internet has already established itself as the single most important medium for information. The service providers—whether telecom operators or broadcasters—have to identify the subscriber’s information needs and ensure delivery of this content—through fixed, mobile, or Internet—in a user-friendly format.

Besides E-mail, the main web applications world-wide are accessing information, entertainment, education, and research. Each of these requires development of specialized content. At least around 20 percent surfers world-wide use web for news and information. An ISP can collaborate with a Content Service Provider (CSP) to deliver news and information in user-friendly formats in the subscriber’s mail box. By customized selection of headlines, personalized news service is created and delivered. However, any content needs to be culturally and socially relevant.

Some of the players have initiated revolutionary work in content creation. One of the foremost being CNN. Its web sites including CNN.com, CNNfn.com, CNNSI.com, AllPolitics.com, and CNNenEspanol.com are getting consistently ranked as #1 Internet news sources. They generate more traffic and attract more unduplicated Internet users than any other general news and information web sites. "@plan’s" spring/summer 1998 data reports a monthly 11,793,042 unduplicated Internet users in the United States for the CNN web sites.

The CNN web sites served a record 34 million page impressions on 11 September, the day when the Starr Report was released on-line. The CNN web sites including three other CNN niche news sites—CNN Custom News, CNNemPortugues.com, and Svenska CNN—averaged more than 105 million page impressions per week during December 1998. In 1998, the sites served 4.4 billion page impressions, double the sites’ traffic in 1997. PC World awarded CNN Interactive with the 1998 World Class Award for Best News and Information Web Site.

Brand plays an important role in speedy acceptance of new technologies. Role of branded content in the success of TV and cable TV is well known—it should be used similarly by emerging ISPs. Likewise, it fuels content acceptance. Leading brands like CNN and Times are capitalizing on their brand equity for web sites to maintain leadership. TV has the limitation of time and hence, program creation. Although it has the advantage of reach, user has a limited control on access.

Ultimately, the broadcast media like TV may provide only a glimpse—more to promote CNN.com—and help in brand building, while the real content will be accessed through Internet which provides the user control on the content. For ISPs, brand can help differentiate. CNN provides an ideal benchmark for content creation.

Operators have to ensure delivery of the content and in turn maximize usage. Authorities have to provide the policy framework so that economic benefits reach the masses and disparities are reduced. To maximize usage, operators need to educate customers about contents and benefits of Internet.

In India, the Times of India Group has started Indiatimes.com with 10 web sites catering to various types of news. There are others too. While the print media limited by space can carry short interviews, the web can provide far more details. Putting the control in user’s hands. And that is what it is all about.