[11025] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: ANS and the CIX - have they really connected?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Matthew Kaufman)
Fri Mar 18 08:06:17 1994
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 02:04:14 -0800
From: matthew@echo.com (Matthew Kaufman)
To: cook@path.net, karl@mcs.com
Cc: com-priv@psi.com, fair@apple.com, stpeters@dawn.crd.ge.com
>From: karl@mcs.com (Karl Denninger):
>
> You can extend routing to them, yes.
>
> However, no other members have to accept those routes, or pass packets
> from them.
>
> Again, the CIX agreement does not say you CANNOT pass "backdoor" traffic.
> It also doesn't say that you must.
So, if I'm X is a reseller, connected to CIX, and Y is a reseller,
connected to X, and Z is a customer, connected to Y, then X is allowed to
advertise a route to Z, and mcs/alternet/psi/sprint/etc CAN accept that
route, and pass packets destined for Z, but they aren't required to.
Right?
>
> It does, however, say that you will route traffic for direct customers of
> members. That's a duty of membership, as the agreement reads today.
So, if Z was a customer of X, mcs/alternet/psi/sprint/etc MUST accept the
route that X advertises, and pass packets destined for Z. Correct?
Now then, if we have the first situation, but X charges Z $1/year for
CIX routing, doesn't Z now become a "direct customer" of X?
Wouldn't it then be the case that mcs/alternet/psi/sprint/etc MUST accept
the route that X advertises, and pass packets destined for Z, even though
Z is "connected through" Y ?
If yes, I'll be connecting as soon as I have the $10,000.
If no, then isn't the CIX "mandating" a "minimum price to charge" for its
members, which, since they comprise nearly all of the IP providers by now,
would seem to be a clearly defined case of a conspiracy to engage in
restraint of trade... Because if the answer is no, what you're saying is
"Well, you can pay $10000 to us and hook up, and you can resell service,
BUT YOU CAN'T ONLY CHARGE $1/year FOR IT"
In that case, not only am I not interested, but I wouldn't even want
to CONSIDER having my business join an organization that was engaging
in such legally risky practices.
-matthew
