Cable television illustrates the problems that can arise in exploiting a promising new technology to meet social needs. Cable operators' marketing procedures have emphasized improvement of the quality of reception from local broadcasting stations, increased programming choice by introduction of distant signals, and introduction of special pay channels for movies and sports. Programming and operating costs are so high that mass appeal broadcasting is economically more attractive than cable. Using cable as a polling device, or burglar alarm, or for meter reading, are other applications which are accompanied by a variety of problems, the greatest of which is cost. The extent to which new socially significant services develop on cable in the future will depend on a number of factors including federal regulatory policy, interconnection of cable systems, social experimentation, and technological developments. (JEG)