the Internet Backbone

Fri Apr 5 18:53:27 UTC 1996

>> From: Avi Freedman <freedman at netaxs.com>
>> And they solicit our customers, sigh.
>>
>> And someone with 2 T1s to Sprint has been saying "We are *the* Internet
>> Backbone in South Jersey".
>>
>> Everyone (of importance) agrees that in order to claim you're a backbone
>> you have to (now, not a year ago) be connected to at least 2 public NAPs/MAEs
>> and have at least one circuit that runs at DS3 or higher speed.
>>
> No, that is not correct.
> 
> A US Internet "backbone" is one which connects to ALL the NAP/MAEs in
> the US.  Not just two.  All of them.

Perhaps you can tell me where PSI connects, good sir...
By my count it's MAE-East and CIX and nowhere else.
There are a few major backbones not at the Chicago NAP.
And none of the majors are at MAE-Chicago or any of the MAEs other
than East and West.

> Everyone else is just a "regional", of one size or another.
> 
> If anyone solicits your customers saying otherwise, report them for
> false advertising to the FTC, and sue the bastards.
> 
> WSimpson at UMich.edu

Avi