Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!ucbvax!BU-CS.BU.EDU!bzs
From: bzs@BU-CS.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Whither chargeback policies?
Message-ID: <8804250323.AA11206@bu-cs.bu.edu>
Date: 25 Apr 88 03:23:38 GMT
References: <[A.ISI.EDU]24-Apr-88.21:28:52.CERF>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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This is coming down to "do we form bread lines, or do we bake more bread?"

Some of it is a futures issue, given a reasonable "taxation" scheme
could we keep ahead (or reasonably in line with) the traffic or do we
consign ourselves to needing negative feedback to control usage?

Even the Interstate Highway system recognizes that you need more
highways going in/out of NYC than Coldwater Flats, which would seem to
help. This is a two-edged sword, you justify more highways to NYC
because there's more gas taxes collected there, but you still have the
freedom to have a highway through Coldwater Flats (a tributary or exit
or whatever makes sense) even if they could never justify such a think
given a fair-share payback scheme.

Maybe that's part of the problem, how do you deal with a few
researchers who are deserving (that is, would get access at a larger
institution) but won't generate enough packet charges to justify
(payback) a net connection, the volume clout is just not there? Leave
them out in the cold? Tell them to request special and specific
subsidy from their funding source?

Can some of that be reflected in the bandwidth they and others get?

I think part of the idea of infrastructure includes subsidizing
otherwise unprofitable ventures, like a highway exit to Coldwater
Flats, on the assumption that most everyone needs minimal access,
while still being able to respond appropriately to large needs.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University