[107217] in Cypherpunks
[off-topic] RE: Internet = LD Call?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Rabid Wombat)
Tue Jan 5 20:38:23 1999
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 20:31:36 -0500 (EST)
From: Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org>
To: Matthew James Gering <mgering@ecosystems.net>
cc: "Cypherpunks (E-mail)" <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net>
In-Reply-To: <5F152E6E8E6FD21195DF00104B2425AD02B40E@YARROWBAY>
Reply-To: Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org>
If they are smart, the LECs will get into the business of providing IP
connectivity, and stay out of the "ISP" business. ISPs are not very good
at running large rotaries, and the LECs are terrible at running mail, DNS,
authentication, and the like.
ISPs have trouble providing dial-up service and making any money at it -
the margins are too low. The LECs already have the billing and
maintenance infrastructure, and the physical facilites.
(Yes, I know your uncle Wilbur runs an ISP out of his mobile home in
Podunk, Arkansas and made enough money to pay off his '86 Ford Ranger.
That approach will die out. Been there, done that, went digtial, sold the
Livingstons, etc.)
The LEC could provide xDSL to the consumer, convert to Frame Relay or ATM
cells at the CO, and route them to the providor of choice, charging the
user a monthly charge on their phone bill. Alternately, the LEC could be
charging the ISP on a per-port or per-cell basis, with the ISP passing the
cost on to their customer.
The local loop carrier and the Internet Service Providor are seperated,
allowing each to operate in their strong area.
The end result is a movement towards a few large nationwide ISPs, with
local loop service provided by the LEC (or cable company - see AT&T/TCI
merger).
Just my $.02.
TelcoMonger
On Tue, 5 Jan 1999, Matthew James Gering wrote:
>
> No Tim, not for accessing stuff on the Internet, for access *to* the
> Internet [via PSTN].
>
> The LECs, *not* the IXCs, have been clamoring for the FCC to allow them to
> charge ISPs per minute charges for access to their network the same way they
> charge the IXCs.
>
> It's old very old news, and it'll never happen. ISPs are exempt the same way
> that paging companies are exempt, and they won't get those regs changed.
>
> Matt
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Tim May [mailto:tcmay@got.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 12:46 PM
>
> > And how would the rent collectors know who I'm connecting
> > to, and where they are? (Think of Web proxies.)
> >
> > Use common sense.
>
>
