Sprint / Cogent

Fri Oct 31 13:47:35 UTC 2008

> So why do SPs keep depeering Cogent?  Serious question, why?  I'm not
> aware of any Intercage-like issues with them.  I've actually considered
> them as a potential upstream when we expand into a market they serve.

Because some SP's still have a sour taste in their mouth about what Cogent did to the marketplace when they started. If you recall, they were the most disturbing force in the transit wars (not to be confused with the cola or fast-food wars), when they came out with $3,000 fast-Ethernets, and everyone else was enjoying $100+/meg. In my opinion, this was the free market at work, and look -- the market as continued to thrive with plenty of competition.

Not being a customer of either of these guys, I could care less about this. While Sprint most certainly has their reasons, I think generally speaking people care less about this sort of thing these days. 1239 is certainly not the force that they used to be, and they should realize it and stop being stupid.

Why do I say stupid?

Because, if companies like Sprint continue to do things like what Sprint is doing, this will certainly lead to being noticed by legislators, and the next thing we know we will have federally regulated peering or backbone network operating. I can see it now, the Bureau of Peering will be part of the Federal Networking Committee.

Does anyone want that? I certainly don't. Again, not because it would overly affect me, it's just more regulation which we don't need.

I'll crawl back under my rock now.