[523] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Cost of Internet Access
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Caroline Arms)
Thu Jun 18 16:50:48 1992
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1992 13:19:21 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: Caroline Arms <cra@med.pitt.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <9206111604.AA09656@mercury.med.pitt.edu>; from "Public-Access
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
The original message on this topic concerned the colleague of a PACS-L
subscriber who refused to use electronic mail, because she knew that
'someone, somewhere" would have to pay for that message. As clearly
indicated by some of the responses, an internet connection is not
free. However, there is seldom a marginal cost (to anyone, anywhere)
for sending a single mail message. All the networking costs are fixed
(one-time equipment costs, annual costs for communications lines) or
step functions that change only with large increases in traffic (a
second mail gateway computer, a higher-speed leased line from a
telephone company). Costs for support staff would only be very
loosely volume-related. The only part of the electronic mail process
that could reasonably be thought to have a marginal cost is the
storing of the received message. There might be an "opportunity cost"
associated with that disk-space, since it could possibly be used for
storing some other information, such as a payroll record, some
research data, or even an OPAC record. Once an institution has
installed a computer to handle electronic mail and connected it to to
the Internet, there is no reason not to use the service to its full
capacity.
Exceptions: If your connection to the Internet is non-permanent, you
may see a marginal cost, for the telephone call. And if your
connection is via another host or service, you may be charged a price
for sending or reading a message. However, the service-provider
almost certainly did not incur any cost for handling that single
message. The charge is to recover a portion of the fixed costs the
service-provider incurs.
Caroline Arms cra@med.pitt.edu
Head, Microcomputer & Media Center
Falk Library of the Health Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
