[1502] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Help !
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John Pettitt)
Fri Oct 11 18:51:44 1991
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 91 15:37:22 PDT
To: com-priv@psi.com
From: njin!slxinc.specialix.com!jpp%uupsi.UUCP@psi.com (John Pettitt)
Dear all,
Yesterday I went to Interop to try and find a vendor to supply
an Internet connection. I am now confused.
What follows is my summary of the words from the 5 suppliers
I spoke to, the sarcastic comments are mine !
1) ANS. Summary: We are the one true Internet.
They can sell me co+re service that will let me put commercial
packets over the backbone and anybody attached to it. This sounds
good, will I be able to reach everybody ? Well not quite anybody,
just those mid levels that have signed up.
2) Alternet, PSI & CERFnet:. Summary: don't talk to ANS!
They seem to have this cix business which is close but no cigar.
I have a real problem in that PSI and CERF can't reach uknet and
eunet customers as alternet does not pass on the routes (Guess
where our head office is !) Nobody could give a good reason
why ANS was bad other than a possible use of federal funds
(which ANS deny).
3) BARRnet - can't do commercial traffic right now as they
are part of Stanford who are in enough trouble regarding
federal funding ! :-) They will go commercial RSN but
don't know which way (ANS or CIX).
Can anybody throw any light on the real position of ANS core ?
If I take it who will and will not carry my packets ? Will we
be progressivly isolated by the mid-level networks joining the
CIX ?
If we go with a CIX member will we be locked out of the ANS backbone
forever ? Which other nets are joining the CIX ?
I am tempted to go with the cheapest dial up or slip service right now
until things get sorted out rather than investing in a T1 to a dead end
network.
Silly me thinking that they were all promoting OPEN systems and networks.
Regards
Confused, Los Gatos, CA
