BBN Peering issues

Sat Aug 15 23:05:10 UTC 1998

This issue is of specific importance to any individual responsible for
running an ISP. Just as in the legal field the outcome of this issue may
set a precedence for future events that will severely impact anyone
wanting to become a tier one provider. The Internet was founded on the
principle of free interconnectivity between network segments. It is
fundamentally important that these ideals be extended to the future of
the Internet, if it is to have a future. No company should have the
right to force another to pay for connectivity simply because the latter
has not been around since the beginning or they are not a telco. The
next company on BBN's hit list may be yours.

Mark

*** Disclaimer ***
The opinions expressed here are just those, opinions. They are neither
the offical statements of my employer or endorced as such.

Michael Shields wrote:
> 
> In article <Pine.BSF.3.96.980815012720.27167B-100000 at workhorse.iMach.com>,
> "Forrest W. Christian" <forrestc at iMach.com> wrote:
> > After all, it's the BBN customers REQUESTING the data from exodus, not the
> > other way around.
> 
> This argument goes around and around every time.  Unless you have a
> customer relationship with Exodus or BBN there is no point in arguing
> about what should happen with this particular case, and there is no
> point at all in arguing about what is the morally correct thing for
> the general case.  The only way to determine the value of connecting
> network A to network B, in either sign or magnitude, is for A and B to
> negotiate a price, which may even be zero.  And that's what's
> happening here, albeit in a unusually painful and visible way.
> 
> If you have an opinion and are a customer of BBN or Exodus, tell them
> your opinion.  Otherwise there is no need to care.
> --
> Shields, CrossLink.

-- 
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    Mark Tripod - Senior Network Architect - Exodus Communications
      http://www.exodus.net - (888) 2-EXODUS - support at exodus.net
           ASN 3967 - NASDAQ (EXDS) - Direct: (408) 346-2389