Viable Third Option?

Wed Feb 17 18:49:46 UTC 2021

This is from the perspective of an eyeball network. I understand that content networks would have different objectives and reasons. For instance, I have little to no reason as an eyeball network to exchange traffic with any other eyeball network (aside from P2P games). For a content network, getting into the eyeball networks is their objective. 

My crystal ball tells me this thread will spiral out of control because people won't be able to keep it on topic, but it is a question that I hear VERY often. I also expect a lot of purely bad or outdated information to get thrown out. 

Please try to keep it on topic and not being pedantic over relatively unimportant details. 

There are two major low-cost providers, Cogent and HE. 

Cogent 

    * Refuses to peer IPv6 with HE 
    * Refuses to peer IPv6 with Google 
    * Aggressive sales tactics 

Hurricane 

    * Doesn't have Cogent IPv6 because of Cogent's refusal 
    * Lack of communities for anything other than blackholes 

I know there are a variety of other providers such as Fusion Network that operate at similar price points, but are available in way fewer locations. 

What else is out there? Anyone else that isn't 5x, 10x the cost? 

Cogent and HE get looked down upon (and sometimes deservedly so), but when I talk to someone trying to sell me a port in 350 Cermak for 8x the cost of Cogent and HE, you better have a very good argument for why you're worth it... and they never do. "We're not Cogent." "and?" Many times I'm quoted transit that costs more than Cogent + IX + HE and they don't really have a good argument for it. 

As an eyeball, I join an IX and there goes 50% - 85% of my traffic and almost all of my traffic that anyone is going to notice or complain about if there are issues (video streaming). 

I do understand that enterprise eyeballs may have different requirements. 

----- 
Mike Hammett 
Intelligent Computing Solutions 

Midwest Internet Exchange 

The Brothers WISP 

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