People are interested in the costs and economics of distance education because they think it lowers costs. Education was, and to a large extent still is, labour-intensive. By the 1970s few countries could afford the costs of providing education for burgeoning populations of young people, let alone the emerging demand from adults for lifelong learning. It was hoped that the use of technology would bring the unit costs of education down (Jamison, Suppes & Wells, 1974: 57, Eicher, Hawridge, McAnany, Mariet & Orivel, 1982: 40).