[10673] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: CCN's Clarification re: Internet Local Loop
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Russell Nelson)
Fri Mar 4 23:57:20 1994
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 94 23:47 EST
From: nelson@crynwr.com (Russell Nelson)
To: fidelman@civicnet.org
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9403021127.A21076-0100000@world.std.com> (message from Miles R Fidelman on Wed, 2 Mar 1994 11:56:57 -0500 (EST))
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 11:56:57 -0500 (EST)
From: Miles R Fidelman <fidelman@civicnet.org>
Just like with the telephone, the real social benefits of a
communications technology can only be realized when we achieve close to
universal service. Universal service for data networking means i.)
24-hour connectivity, and ii.) ability to access all services in an
easy-to-use fashion. Periodic dial-up to a text-only host service does
not come close.
Okay, so let's take a straightforward look at this. 1) There are only two
cables going into everyone's house (three if you count the power cables but
carrier current devices don't have the necessary bandwidth). 2) The cable
TV plant isn't up to snuff. It carries television, one way, fairly well.
However (in my town at least) the amps are one-way amps, and the local
manager has NO-ZERO-NADA interest in dealing with data. So, 3) that leaves
the phone company.
The local phone companies have shown VERY little interest in ISDN. National
ISDN-1 is nice, but we've had the technology for ten years, and they're only
*talking* about deploying it now??
I would say that the local loop is pretty much a natural monopoly. However,
the central office does NOT need to be a monopoly. Rearrange the tariffs
so that competitors can co-locate in central offices, and level the playing
field. The baby bells will win (of course) out of momentum, and they'll
be happier when us whiners have gone away to the competition and they can
ignore the data market.
Co-location is NOT a problem because switches have gotten smaller and
smaller. Every central office has plenty of room to spare. So, don't
let the baby bells say that co-location won't work because there isn't
the physical room.
