[1413] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Volume-sensitive charging
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sean Donelan)
Sat Sep 28 18:42:13 1991
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1991 17:41:53 CDT
From: SEAN@SDG.DRA.COM (Sean Donelan)
To: com-priv@psi.com
X-Vmsmail-To: SMTP%"com-priv@psi.com"
>who said the quote:" i remember when we spent time worrying that our packets
>just got there, and now we worry about how they get there?"
The problem isn't that bad when the packets get there. The harder problem
is what happens when the packets don't get there.
With the current Internet providers all you get for your flat rate pipe is
the right to compete. If your packets don't get through, oh well. You pay
the same rate whether or not your packets ever reach their destination. That
flat rate can be real cheap if those packets make it, but how much is it worth
if those packets don't.
For a small college in New England that paid $$$ for a flat rate subscription
to a database in St. Louis this turns into a PR nightmare when the network
flames out every day. The database provider can try to be understanding, but
they aren't getting any money to keep the network running. All they can tell
the college is to try to get the people paid to run the network to fix it, or
pay the database provider to manage their own line to St. Louis.
No refunds for lost packets.
--
Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO
Domain: sean@sdg.dra.com, Voice: (Work) +1 314-432-1100
