The Academic Network on European Telecommunications



ANET started with a meeting in Stockholm in 1989. It brought together a set of researchers from several European countries to research into the comparative development of videotex systems from social science perspectives. It built on an existing project which compared the shaping of videotex in Germany, France and the UK. During a short series of meetings, the extent of European representation grew and was supplemented by that of researchers from the USA.

In 1992 a book - Relaunching Videotex - was published, bringing together the work done on the initial topic. The group wanted to stay together, and so turned its attention to the related topic of audiotex services, resulting in the 1994 book, Cash Lines. Since then, ANET has explored telecommunications user organisations, national policies on information highways and cross-cutting themes related to the formation of national information infrastructures. These topics are currently being brought together in a publication with the working title Changing Relationships in Information Society.

ANET has evolved a working style which allows us to move gradually from one topic to another without breaking the continuity of our backgrounds and perspectives. Not everyone participates in producing papers on every topic. Membership was initially defined by a set of common interests, and has been extended either to cover a specific geographical area or because an existing member has introduced a close collaborator. We do not intend to undergo any rapid expansion, mainly because of the increased difficulty of finding funding for large groups. ANET is at present not a 'legal person', although this topic continues to be debated. ANET aims to retain its independence of other organisations.


Further information


Edited by
Graham Thomas
February, 1996

University of East London