ANS Connectivity Agreement

Thu Jan 9 20:33:13 UTC 1992

>>>>> On Thu, 09 Jan 92 08:39:30 -0500, jrugo at nic.near.net said:

> I believe, however, that cost of providing service is not the only
> issue to be considered.  I believe that a most important parameter
> in the equation is the number of connections a network brings.  As
> we already have access to the NSFnet, what you are offering NEARnet
> is access to Dialog.  What you want is access to 115 of New
> England's premier research and educational institutions.

Certainly ANS wants access to those "115 New England premier research
and educational institutions."

But ANS also intends to find institution #116 and sign them up to
directly connect to ANSnet as CO+RE customers!

Given that ANS plans to actively compete with NEARnet and other
regionals for the same end customers, how long will ANS and NEARnet
(in this specific example) be able to maintain an amicable business
relationship?  Makes you think, doesn't it?

I don't know the answer to that question, but I'm very glad that John
Rugo posted his message.  Not only does his message prove to me that
my regional's business manager is actively doing his job by asking the
right questions, but maybe his message will help other regionals ask
some of the right questions as well.

Manavendra K. Thakur			 Internet: thakur at zerkalo.harvard.edu
Systems Programmer, High Energy Division BITNET:   thakur at cfa.BITNET
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for		 DECNET:   CFA::thakur
Astrophysics				 UUCP:	   ...!uunet!mit-eddie!thakur