BBN Peering issues

Fri Aug 14 19:45:13 UTC 1998

At 14:20 8/13/98 -0500, you wrote:
>That is one thing I don't understand about the aversion to peering.  We
>peer with anyone who will either pay the line costs or connect to us over
>Bell FR, where the costs are negligible.  Granted, we are small potatoes in
>the ISP field, but to my way of thinking both parties benefit.  There is
>a customer here communicating with a customer there.  Both ISPs are getting
>money from their customer to get connectivity to the other ISP's customer.
>Dropping the peering connection degrades connectivity for both ISPs' 
>customers.

On the macro, non-technical side of things...this move also degrades the
very cooperative nature of the Internet (which is getting less cooperative
by the day).  
It used to be "we're all one big family...c'mon in!" but now it's "you must
not only pay your own way, but pay part of our way as well or you can't
come in!".  Pay per play, all the way.  Wanna be on the Internet?  Bring
your Platinum card.

The next step will be "you must pay a hefty price for every packet
transitting our pipes", directing transitting (packets only going through
specified routes) and strong-arm tactics on the smaller players to sign up
with one specific network.  Then you'll see regulation akin to what telcos
have, with the concommitant expense.  

Sorry, Pandora...the box is open and Woe is on the loose.

Wabbit season!..duck season!..wabbit season!..duck season!..SPAMMER SEASON!

Dean Robb
PC-EASY computer services
(757) 495-EASY [3279]