Did Internet Founders Actually Anticipate Paid,

Tue Sep 21 20:54:14 UTC 2010

On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 09:31:07AM -0700, George Bonser wrote:
> > Yes they are -- content providers aren't getting their connections to
> > the
> > Internet for free (and if they are, how can I get me some of that?).
> 
> Maybe I wasn't clear.  Traffic is moving away from "transit" to direct
> peering at private exchanges in many cases.  [Citation needed]

> > > If the ISPs are directly peering with the content provider at
> > > some IX, the content provider gets what amounts to a free ride to
> the
> > > end user.
> > 
> > Say wha?  ISPs don't *have* to peer at an IX; if they think that it's
> > cheaper to buy transit from someone than it is to peer, they're more
> > than
> > capable of doing so.
> 
> Transit would have to get extremely cheap to compete with exchange
> peering.  I don't see it getting that low any time soon.

So it *is* cheaper to peer than to buy transit.  Take the money you save
from not buying transit and put it towards upgrading your core.

- Matt

-- 
Generally the folk who love the environment in vague, frilly ways are at
odds with folk who love the environment next to the mashed potatoes.
		-- Anthony de Boer, in a place that does not exist