[9750] in North American Network Operators' Group

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Re: connectivity outside the US

daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Perry E. Metzger)
Sat May 31 16:57:24 1997

To: Vadim Antonov <avg@pluris.com>
cc: nanog@merit.edu
In-reply-to: Your message of "Sat, 31 May 1997 11:18:51 PDT."
             <199705311818.LAA03892@quest.pluris.com> 
Reply-To: perry@piermont.com
Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 16:54:24 -0400
From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com>


Vadim Antonov writes:
> Actually, i do not understand why undersea capacity is so
> expensive.

Largely because to run a cable, you need to get permission from the
government at the far end to land the thing, and they don't give out
permission that freely.

> Cable is more expensive, yes; but the paths
> are much straighter, and there's no need to purchase
> rights of ways (except for shore-side strips).  There's
> no need to dig trenches -- you just drop the cable off the
> boat.

Not really that true -- you should read the "Hacker Tourist" article
by Neil Stephenson in "Wired" from last summer in which he followed
the laying of the FLAG cable. This was perhaps the only worthwhile
article in "Wired" in the last two years...

Perry

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