[11254] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
The whole CIX concept is flawed (as presented to the public at least)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Anonymous)
Sun Mar 27 07:35:26 1994
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 94 10:24:34 -0500
From: Anonymous <nowhere@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>
To: com-priv@psi.com
There seems to be alot of confusion about the intentions of the CIX
regarding non-member providers. The impression has been given
here and elsewhere (and yet also denied by some), that CIX might
refuse to route packets for IP providers that aren't members of the
CIX. Some providers don't wish to join the CIX, yet are getting
intimidated into thinking that perhaps their packets might not be
routed if they don't. I think its important for someone in authority
within the CIX to clarify what the CIX is all about.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but this whole CIX concept that
many of us have seems flawed in that it is in the interest of all IP
providers to give their customers access to as much of the net as
possible. If the CIX stops routing traffic to provider A who is not a
CIX member, then it is not simply hurting provider A, it is also
hurting ALL the CIX providers and customers who can no longer
access provider A. In the business world this may mean being cut off
from potential sales, clients, etc. The whole purpose of connecting to
the Internet is to be connected to as many sites as possible, and so
connecting through a CIX provider seems to be risky if they may cut
you off from your customers. CIX GAINS something by routing
traffic to provider A, why should provider A pay CIX, and CIX not
pay provider A?
What happens if some other group of IP providers joins together to
form, say CIX2, who have many MORE customers than CIX. Would CIX
cut its own throat by not being willing to route traffic through to it?
Or would CIX2 then be able to demand CIX pay it something to
connect to it so CIX customers don't loose access to CIX2 customers?
The reason CIX can get away with asking for money now is because
most providers are small enough that CIX could probably get away
with cutting off routing to them to make them an example, and they
don't wish to risk this. This is why I am sending this anonymously. I
don't wish the small provider I connect through to be made an
example of by the CIX if they decide to cut off routing as a
demonstration of what they will do if we don't pay their
Protection/Blackmail money.
They can't cut off routing to a large provider or section of the net,
or their customers would start screaming because they can't access
what they wish, yet small providers can be forced into it. Its
essentially a small time racket that can't grow bigger without
customers objecting and is open to competition from other CIX2 style
gangs.
In the case where CIX actually provides a pipe that the provider
uses to connect to the net, then it makes sense it should be able to
bill for that like any other provider. Statements have been made that
it is an easy way to gain connectivity to other nets, in this case it is
just serving then like a backbone network, connect to it and you get
connectivity to whatever else is connected to the backbone. That
makes sense as a thing to charge for. Yet apparently this particular
backbone is saying that any provider that connects to your net ALSO
has to pay, double dipping. We connect to Sprint, we should NOT
have to pay more on top of that. Essentially again it seems to be a
blackmail racket trying to gain enough of a market edge to force
everyone to pay it so it doesn't stop routing packets.
What CIX is doing doesn't seem to be ethical business practise, even
if it is legal and getting away with it. Some type of industry
association is useful, as are as many backbones and inter-provider
links as people want to set up and charge for.
Is the purpose of CIX to help prevent the flood of small bootstrap,
low cost providers who can't afford the 10k initially, but would
otherwise be able to underprice existing internet providers who wish
to protect their niche? 10k may not seem like alot to some providers,
but for a provider who is struggling to get set up it may be the
difference between starting and not starting. CIX can help prevent
some of the competition I suppose for its members.
