Microsoft offering xDSL access

Jay R. Ashworth jra at scfn.thpl.lib.fl.us
Fri Jan 23 15:56:53 UTC 1998


On Fri, Jan 23, 1998 at 03:19:37AM -0000, John R. Levine wrote:
> But the important thing they did not say (and which may be of some
> interest to NANOG) was what is supposed to happen to the packets once
> they whiz down the DSL wire from the consumer to the phone company
> central office, since DSL data, unlike ISDN or regular dialup
> connections, doesn't go through the phone switch.  Whoever handles
> that IP traffic needs a router or something similar next to the phone
> switch to connect to those DSL pairs.  Do the Bells plan to hand all
> the traffic to their oh-so-independent ISP subsidiaries?  Will it be
> gold rush time as every ISP in the country scrambles to get colo space
> for a router in every central office in the territory they want to
> serve?  Do the Bells plan to sell MAN connections between telco-run
> routers at the phone office and the ISPs?  Who knows?

The only plan I can see that would be equitable would be for tge
regulated utility to operate the "DSL-Max's" (or whatever), and rent
access to all comers at a tarriffed price.  This _is_ after all a side
effect of the fact that they have an effective monopoly on the
copper... and it _is_ the regulated company that owns the copper.

As long as they're charging their subsidiary the same price as me, I
don't care.  But I _wouldn't_ let them provide _anything_ except
routing.  No news, no mail, no Radius... nada.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                                                jra at baylink.com
Member of the Technical Staff             Unsolicited Commercial Emailers Sued
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