The population explosion and the trend to urban-suburban living means that 80% of the nation's population lives on less than 10% of the land. A long-term solution to this problem calls for a total change in our population distribution as well as our life style--and the key to this plan lies in new applications for existing communication technologies. The plan must induce 100 million Americans to remain in or move to rural areas by offering them employment opportunities educational and health services, and social, cultural, and recreational pursuits in these areas. A study is now taking place for developing an undeveloped area around Windham, Conn. If employment opportunities in service industries are developed around Windham, communications technologies can help in these ways: connect the local hospital with large medical centers through two-way broadband circuits, provide adult education via satellites, and provide televised entertainment through satellite. Development of a new rural society where people live where they work would help reduce enormous and increasing needs for fuel and energy. (JK)