Level 3 blames Internet slowdowns on ISPs' refusal to upgrade networks | Ars Technica

Mon Mar 24 17:17:09 UTC 2014

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jimmy Hess" <mysidia at gmail.com>

> Hey, what part of "up to 8Mbps" is an assurance, that the system supports
> 8Mbps from all customers 24x7 simultaneously? Only the former can be
> delivered inexpensively; the latter from large service providers is a
> business service that doesn't seem to be in the compass of ordinary
> mortals. Because this is the well-known industry standard; it can't
> accurately be described as one of deception.

[ started this, and then got tied up with community theatre. Oops. ]

No part of it is, legally; all of it is, to the paying customer who isn't 
versed in oversubscription.

Oversubscription (what I used to call bandwidth-surfing when I had to 
do it -- 1995, 60 33k6 modems on a 256k FR link :-), will be around
for a long time to come.

How far you can *push* it without losing customers is the question,
and the feedback loop is slow, and the response to a new provider who
doesn't push it as hard is usually sharper than you can survive...

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                  Baylink                       jra at baylink.com
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