[11488] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: What's an ISP again...?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Simon Poole)
Mon Apr 4 11:37:09 1994
To: tenney@netcom.com (Glenn S. Tenney)
Date: Mon, 4 Apr 1994 15:11:24 +0200 (MET DST)
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <199404040752.AAA05264@netcom9.netcom.com> from "Glenn S. Tenney" at Apr 4, 94 00:52:02 am
From: Simon Poole <poole@magnolia.eunet.ch>
> Would these (some may be hypohetical -- you decide) be considered ISPs by
> the CIX and therefore (a) "should" join the CIX, and (b) Alternet / PSI
> would refuse them a connection because they're an ISP?
[Examples deleted]
> It's clear that for all of these we can agree that $10K is a HUGE
> investment. What's not clear is why they should have to be considered an
> ISP. Especially in the first two cases, I believe that this whole needing
> to be a CIX member actually working AGAINST the Internet spreading into
> developing countries?
EUnet has a number of national organisations in ex-eastern block and
developing countries (mainly North Africa). Among other countries, we
were the first to supply commercial Internet (not US-Government funded)
access in the CIS countries, Czech Republic and Tunisisa.
While I would agree that for an independent operation in any of these
countries $10k is an incrediable amount of money, it pales in comparision
to the costs of getting connectivity there in the first place (inter-
national leased lines), regulatory issues (nearly all these countries
have state telecommunications monopolies) and competition from subsidised
operations.
I would be suprised if any of the current CIX members would have problems
with supporting Internet service provision in developing countries in
one way or another, however this was and is not the issue discussed in
the current thread.
--
EUnet Switzerland Simon Poole
Zweierstrasse 35 Tel: +41 1 291 45 80
CH-8004 Zuerich Fax: +41 1 291 46 42 poole@eunet.ch
