The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was expected to result in many new technologies from which many people wanted to profit. Alan Greenspan, then- Chair of the Federal Reserve, allegedly fueled investments in the stock market by putting a positive spin on stock valuations. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, which lowered the top marginal capital gains tax in the United States, also made people more willing to make more speculative investments. This marked the shift to the Information Age, an economy based on information technology, and many new companies were founded.Īt the same time, a decline in interest rates increased the availability of capital. Between 19, the percentage of households in the United States owning computers increased from 15% to 35% as computer ownership progressed from a luxury to a necessity. Internet use increased as a result of the reduction of the ' digital divide' and advances in connectivity, uses of the Internet, and computer education.

The 1993 release of Mosaic and subsequent web browsers during the following years gave computer users access to the World Wide Web, popularizing use of the Internet.

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