This PTC'97 volume contains papers presented at the 19th annual conference of the Pacific Telecommunications Council, "Pacific Connections: Policy and Technology in the Information Economy" (1997). Three super-session groupings--industry, policy, and technology--provide attendees with a conceptual foundation from which subsequent concurrent sessions are offered: applications/users, social/cultural, industry, development, technology, and executive focus. This volume offers more than 140 papers, arranged chronologically according to date of presentation. Topics include: network-based currencies; teletext technology and stock markets; telemedicine; interactive communications policies; telecommunications in disaster management; telecommunications in developing countries; global systems regulations; wireless networks; integrated management systems; global connectivity; satellite television; telephone services; multimedia technologies; nation-wide research; distance education; electronic tourism; Asynchronous Transmission (ATM) switching systems; electronic banking; competition; strategic international alliances; information economy; rural networks; public telephony; digital television; online services; virtual colleges; technology trends; reinventing education; cellular networks; standards for secure subsea telecommunications cable systems; private investment ventures; intelligent agents; Web searching; outsourcing; and industry development. (Includes subject, country, and author indexes.) (AEF)