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Path: utzoo!utgpu!utcsri!utegc!utai!ubc-vision!van-bc!sl
From: sl@van-bc.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.general,news.misc,news.admin
Subject: uunet access from Canada
Message-ID: <954@van-bc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Jul-87 03:36:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: van-bc.954
Posted: Fri Jul  3 03:36:12 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Jul-87 10:53:20 EDT
Distribution: can
Organization: Public Access Network, Vancouver, BC.
Lines: 91
Keywords: Tymnet UUNET
Xref: utgpu can.general:621 news.misc:548 news.admin:516


Is anyone out there interested in hooking into UUNET?
*****************************************************

While there are Tymnet access points in most major Canadian cities UUNET is
currently having problems getting Tymnet to allow cheap access from Canada.

Currently UUNET is charging $3/hr US for access from the continental US
during offpeak hours (7:00PM to 6:00AM).

They are charging $5/hr US for access from Hawaii. 

Canadian access is $9/hr US.
                   ********

Does this make sense to you? It certainly doesn't to me!

The basic problem is lack of one specific rate structure in Canada.

Specifically UUNET is utilizing a rate none as "Leisure time" available in
the US only. This amounts to $1/hr US plus about $.01/kb after the first
couple hundred kb/hr. In fact UUNET has been able to strike a deal which
allows them to charge a flat rate even though the character charge should
have put them up quite a bit higher, by guaranteeing 5000 hours of use per
month.

Tymnet has refused to allow this for Canada. In Canada UUNET must charge
normal offpeak charges of  $9/hr US and $.01/kc. This works out to $9/hr US
with normal uucp type traffic at 2400 bps.

Is there any real reason for this? 
**********************************

None that I can see. Tymnet does not have significantly higher costs of
doing business in Canada. And in fact almost all rates are the same in
Canada as in the US. We just don't rate getting this rate.

I contacted MacDonanal Douglas in Canada (who own Tymnet) about this. 

They have been very helpful and want to help. But have not been able 
to fix this problem yet.

Excuse number one (from their accounting department) is that it would take
3.5 weeks of programming effort to add leisure time to the Canadian rate
schedule.

Currently UUNET is recommending that Canadians use Datapac and access them
via X.25. The problem as I see it, is that the best rate for Datapac/Tymnet
is $2.75 / kpac + $.60 /hr holding charge. This works out to a theorectical
minimum of $22 per MB of data transferred. 

Even at $9/hr UUNET should work out to about $20 / MB of data transferred.
($9 * 1.3 * 1.666 for .6mb / hour transfer rate.)


Is there anything we can do about this?
***************************************

Yes. I think that if enough people want to use this service, and make this
known to Tymnet we can get them to change their policies.

If you think as I do, that you're sick and tired of being treated as second
class citizens, please do one of the following:

	- contact Tymnet directly
	- send me mail (or call)

Please try and give an estimate of the number of hours per month you would
use the service. 

A friendly contact at MacDonald Douglas in Canada is:

	David Kingsland		416-229-4449

He is aware of the problem and is TRYING to get it fixed. If he can show his
higher up's that their is a significant amount of traffic just waiting to
use UUNET if the rate is changed, it will get changed. If we just sit around
and do nothing we will be doomed to live in isolation a little longer.

Mail to rick@seismo.css.gov probably would be helpful to. Just to show our
interest.

Lets face it folks. We have the potential here for getting access to UUNET
at the exact same rate as users in the US have. We could be on an
equal footing in terms of mail and news delivery. 

Lets get to work on Tymnet and get our own version of free trade working!


-- 
{ihnp4!alberta!ubc-vision,uunet}!van-bc!Stuart.Lynne Vancouver,BC,604-937-7532