ANS Connectivity Agreement

Tue Jan 7 23:19:34 UTC 1992

John,

I am responding to your note to Al Weis regarding the exchange of commercial
traffic between ANS and NEARnet.  The short answer to your question is no,
ANS will not accept commercial (CO) traffic generated by an attached network
under the Connectivity Agreement.  There is a Gateway agreement that can be
signed whereby ANS and the attached network exchange CO traffic.

The thread of your question implies that the infrastructure of NEARnet and that
of ANSnet are symmetrical.  Providing national backbone services as well as
direct attachments and gateways positions ANSnet within a different economic
and operational structure.  The scale of our operational and other commitments
does not allow ANSnet to provide transit services in exchange for the delivery
of CO traffic being accepted by NEARnet.

The regional does get something in return for accepting the ANS CO traffic in
the form of added value to the regional's members who presumably may want
access to and benefit from the CO services available.  This added value means
more members and more revenue.

If you need any additional information, please give me a call.

Al Hoover
(914) 789-5300

>Here is my question from last week, to which I have not heard a definitive
>answer.  I think the list has some inquiring minds that want to know its answer
>from you.

>>> OK, so NEARnet would agree to accept commercial traffic from ANS, does ANS
>>> agree to accept commercial traffic from NEARnet under the same terms and
>>> conditions?  As I read it, a regional agrees to use its infrastructure as a
>>> distribution mechanism for ANS and gets nothing in return.

>Thanks in advance for your clarification.

>Sincerely,

>John M. Rugo
>NEARnet Business Manager
>Bolt Beranek and Newman