[542] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: ANS Acceptable Use Policy
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Stephen Wolff)
Fri Apr 5 03:55:30 1991
To: Edward Vielmetti <emv@ox.com>
Cc: karl@ddsw1.mcs.com (Karl Denninger), com-priv@psi.com
Date: Wed, 03 Apr 91 14:20:12 EST
From: Stephen Wolff <steve@cise.nsf.gov>
>> I wish someone would expain to me (a) just what ANS' "effective monopoly
>> power" is, and (b) who is supposed to have granted it to them.
>
>as I understand it,
>
>- the nsfnet backbone is the backbone; the internet architects have
> decided through policy and funding powers to route as much traffic
> through it as possible....
Nope. The "internet architects" (some would dub that an oxymoron) have
made no such decision. Many folks want to use it because it's uncongested,
up (>99.88% over the last 3 months), accessible, and free. Many other folks
choose to use other Backbones such as AlterNet's, PSI's, NASA's, and DoE's.
> ...so policy restrictions placed on nsfnet
> backbone traffic must be heeded by all, and there is no effective
> means to bypass them at this time. that's "monopoly".
I'm not sure who's forcing you to send your traffic over the NSFNET BB.
Others have made other choices. That's not monopoly as I see it.
>- ANS now subcontracts for the management of this backbone, a contract
> which was given to them by Merit, MCI, and IBM. that's who gave it
> to them. they appear to have changed the rules for this backbone
from the formalist NSFnet rules to their own moralist set.
Nope. If you contract with ANS for access to **ANSNET**, you're bound by
their rules. If you get BB services via NSF, the NSF rules apply; it
doesn't matter that ANS is buried down there as a subcontractor - in that
role they don't call the shots, we do. Furthermore, if you get PSINet to
carry your traffic, their rules (if any) apply. Or if you can convince DoE
your traffic is worthy of ESNET's carriage, you have to play by their
rules. And so on.
-s
