Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!ucbvax!A.ISI.EDU!CERF
From: CERF@A.ISI.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Whither chargeback policies?
Message-ID: <[A.ISI.EDU]25-Apr-88.03:41:01.CERF>
Date: 25 Apr 88 07:41:00 GMT
References: <8804250323.AA11206@bu-cs.bu.edu>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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Barry (Shein):

The reason I like the notion of trying to find a charge-back
scheme is that it puts some motivation for efficient use into the
loop.

For cases where the need for or utility of service exceeds
revenues generated, it is possible to subsidize (like lifeline
service on the telephone system).  I like that because it makes
the subsidy visible and forces a decision about providing the
subsidy to those who need it.

It would be nice to discover that at some point these services
could be provided commercially at affordable rates so that the
system need not be run by the government at all.  At the moment,
I have the feeling that commercial rates would be prohibitive -
but if there is an economy of scale, it might be that the
commercial rates could be reduced if the entire Internet traffic
were added to existing commercial traffic.  I haven't looked at
that at all recently and we'd need some statistics (which is why
working on charge-back schemes is good - we may learn enough to
figure out make the system pay for itself).

Vint