Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!ucbvax!JVNCA.CSC.ORG!heker
From: heker@JVNCA.CSC.ORG (Sergio Heker)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re:  Simple Cost Accounting Policy
Message-ID: <8804291239.AA21630@jvnca.csc.org>
Date: 29 Apr 88 12:39:24 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 32

Kent,

You have made two valid points here that should be differenciated, 
one is how to charge (fix cost versus measured traffic cost), second 
is consistency among all the mid-level networks (i.e. JVNCNet) and 
the backbone networks (i.e. NSFNET).  On the first point you have to 
cover your costs whether you charge for measured traffic or fix cost.  
The problem with measured traffic is that: (1) we have to further agree 
among all the other networks administrations what parameters to use 
in the charging model, (2) the implementation can become "expensive" 
to accomplish from the bandwidth and cpu point of view.  Thus I suggest 
the fix cost depending on line bandwidth (as I recall Craig Partridge 
suggested this before).  These costs have to: (1) cover the operational 
costs of the network, and (2) be consistent among other networks.  
All this can be worked on, with the exception that this assumes one 
type of user (i.e. University), what about if the user of the network 
is a researcher working for a profit making organization?, shall he pay 
the same as a researcher working for a University?.  The networks 
then have to get into an aggreement that is consistent, and take all 
these issues in consideration.  

As a point of information, there is a task force whithin the Federation
of American Research Networks (FARnet), working on this issue right
now.

					-- Sergio

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Sergio Heker				tel:	(609) 520-2000
Internet: "heker@jvnca.csc.org"		Bitnet:	"heker@jvnc"
JOHN VON NEUMANN NATIONAL SUPERCOMPUTER CENTER, JVNCnet Network Manager
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