[2164] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Low end users
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Richard Mandelbaum)
Tue Jan 28 20:49:19 1992
To: HORN%athena@leia.polaroid.com
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: Your message of Tue, 28 Jan 92 18:21:00 -0500.
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 92 20:47:21 -0500
From: Richard Mandelbaum <rma@tsar.cc.rochester.edu>
One of the main costs of running a network is the cost of a professionally staffed 7 x 24 NOC. Another major cost is of a 24 hour replacement or repair
service for stuff which is broken.
I think that volunteerism is laudable and has its place , but I don't know
of many schools which rely on volunteer teachers for critical-path
portions of their services as opposed to the car-pool sort of stuff
____________________
I would be interested in having someone with real cost information
report on where the costs of running the network really arise. My
experience is that the major cost drivers are:
1) How many users, more or less independent of volume, speed, etc.
2) Peak load from a user
3) Services offered
This is of real interest because it might provide the ammunition
needed to kill packet charges. This one step would greatly simplify
the transition to non-government networking.
As for the comment on the costs of professional services for libraries
and K-12, I think you will find that the volunteer efforts of
communities have always been critical to the very existance of
libraries and schools. You will that professional services can and ar
e
provided by community members. The networking will be the same. The
problem that this poses is the part-time nature of their in-house
technical abilities and the resulting demands on the network provider.
Rob Horn horn%hydra@polaroid.com
