The government collects an enormous amount of information, such as trade data, environmental data, reports, and white papers, yet it is often difficult for the average citizen to gain access to such data. The National Information Infrastructure will make it much simpler for U. S. citizens to gain access to information they have already paid for.
Consider the following. A farmer contemplates purchasing a new spread of land. He can access a land resources database that gives him information on the mineral content and vegetation to be found on the land he is considering. He can also trace the water rights, to determine how much it will cost to irrigate his new land. He can find out what kind of crops have been grown in the land around his, and whether the land is near any hazards, such as flood plains or toxic waste dumps. This kind of information is available in a variety of different local, state, and Federal government databases. The challenge is integrating the diverse data sources in an unambiguous way while making the access to it as easy to use as possible.