In search of gigabit applications

Applications in existing specialized, metacomputer environments and those yet to be developed for services such as telecommunications, distributed data, and image transfer that will require networks which can handle volumes of data on the order of gigabits per second are discussed. Specific examples are presented from the fields of computational science, data navigation, and collaborative environments and instrument control. It is concluded that distributed computing and collaborative environments that support the interaction of multiple computers, as well as the interaction of computers with humans, are the paradigms that will characterize gigabit applications.<>