[109] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Regionals and commercial providors (was: Re: Is SUNFLASH...)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Stan Barber)
Sun Nov 11 21:04:49 1990
From: sob@tmc.edu (Stan Barber)
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 1990 19:53:18 CST
To: com-priv@psi.com
This reply was accidentally only sent to Marty. I include it here so that
those interested can continue to follow this thread.
I disagree that all regionals are basically passive with respect to all the
political/economic developments concerning NREN (or whatever the future
of government-sponsorted networking will be called). Some regionals (and
certainly SesquiNET/THEnet) are taking an active role is providing mid-level
connectivity to as many "national" backbones as possible. [SesquiNET/THEnet is
connected to the NSFnet, NSN and ESnet currently.] This means that one
connection to SesquiNET/THEnet in Texas connects you to multiple long-haul nets
without dragging a line in to the local site for each one.
I believe this is a good thing economically for the local sites, non-profit
and for-profit.
Now, one may argue that the NSFnet three layer model is wrong and that the
ARPAnet model is better [Am I correct in saying that the PSInet architecture
is basically like the ARPAnet (i.e. direct connections from the provider to
the end-user and the provider takes are of all the details of how packets
traverse from one end-user to the other)?] Given the developments here in
Texas, I find it hard to believe that we (end-users in Texas) would be
better served by a provider that follows the ARPAnet model (as described).
Now, either PSI (or its competitors) can fight the NSF three layer model
or they can work with it. What I am asking is what PSI (and the other
providers) want to do. What you seem to be saying is that the regionals
are doomed or don't care and PSI will not try to work with the three layer
model because it will be out the door anyway in October of 1992.
I can believe that it might not be viable for PSI to cooperate from an
economic point-of-view. You have yet to say that clearly.
I just want to be sure that views are stated clearly. I, too, am just s
simple farm boy from East Texas.
--
Stan internet: sob@bcm.tmc.edu Director, Networking
Olan uucp: {rutgers,mailrus}!bcm!sob and Systems Support
Barber Opinions expressed are only mine. Baylor College of Medicine
