[1131] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: CIX Association, Inc.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (William Schrader)
Fri Aug 9 10:17:34 1991
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 91 10:14:34 -0400
From: wls@psi.com (William Schrader)
To: lear@genbank.bio.net
Cc: com-priv@uu.psi.com
-Eliot,
-please accept briefest of answers, more description and explanation
-could be available privately.
-Bill
Hmmm... interesting.
> 1. Members agree not to restrict the use of their network based on traffic..
Maybe Gordon will correct me, but I as recall there are applicable
laws governing the use of federally funded networks. In fact, I
believe I remember seeing usage language in some HPCCI bill. Does
this allow gov't networks to join?
-Federal Law governs all our (and your) actions.
-CIX traffic is not, however, subject to any agency policies governing
-the use of federal agency networks, or those funded by agencies. (also
-these policies are _not_ Law.) Federal Agencies can join the CIX.
-FIX agencies would need to consider their own missions, and which routes
-they would submit, and accept.
> 2. [No Settlements]
So CIX wishes to be viewed as a peer of ANS. Is it OK for ANS to
connect to CIX with a 19200 connection?
-"wishes"?
-It is OK for ANS to join the CIX, since it meets the membership
-criteria as does NEARNet, CICNET, and Infolan. ANS may connect at any
-speed acceptable to the CIX members (presumably the speed you
-suggest, although I cannot imaging anyone actually doing a 19.2...)
> 3. All members must be legally organized to provide TCP/IP or OSI
> public data internetworking services to the public in multiple
> geographic areas.
Read: No baby bells. No regionals. I hope I'm confused. Please
explain.
-RBOCs and BOCs are acceptable. All Regional Networks (such as those
-in FARNET) are acceptable. Sorry about the confusion, we simply want
-to limit the CIX to IP PDIs, and not open it to "retail customers".
> 4. [You Pay].
> 5. [You Pay].
> 6. [You DON'T sue].
Will you have anything to do with setting standards? If so, do you
think such membership requirements are defensible?
-Standards bodies set standards. CIX is an association of service
-providers who cooperate in the free exchange of traffic. By
-necessity, the CIX will identify a set of interoperable standards
-which must be used to implement these connections (PPP today, for
-example). Is that standards setting? No, we use standards.
--
Eliot Lear
[lear@turbo.bio.net]
-I hope this helps. If you would like longer discourse, perhaps
-you and others could send questions and we (CIX) will do
-a more exhaustive paper on this. CIX organizational, settlement,
-and international activities were a topic of discussion at this
-week's NSF workshop on international cooperation. I am certain it
-will be a topic of discussion at next week's NSF workshop on the
-future of the NSFNet backbone net.
-There is confusion, but (I hope) only because what we are doing
-is important and directly responds to issue raised in the Internet
-community over the past two years, and on this list
-concerning "commercials finding a way to interconnect and not
-understanding how to charge each other", if you recall?
-This step is critical to keep the global Internet available for
-small and medium size providers to participate, fairly, with a
-voice.
-Bill Schrader
