Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!bu.edu!bu-cs!buit13!kwe
From: kwe@buit13.bu.edu (Kent England)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Getting a commercial firm into Internet
Message-ID: <52146@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 13 Feb 90 19:01:56 GMT
References: <9002062137.AA14927@cwh.cam.nist.gov>
Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu
Reply-To: kwe@buit13.bu.edu (Kent England)
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Organization: Boston U. Information Technology
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In article <9002062137.AA14927@cwh.cam.nist.gov>
 craig@CWH.CAM.NIST.GOV (Craig Hunt) writes:
>One of our network users, who is doing extensive work with a commercial
>firm, asked how that firm could have access to the Internet. Does
>anyone know who is offering a service to connect commercial users into
>Internet services.  I suggested UUNET and CSNET.  I also thought
>perhaps Merit. Suggestions, contacts, addresses would all be
>appreciated.


	While we are all getting our plugs in; I should point out that
under many circumstances it is entirely appropriate for a commercial
concern to connect to a so-called "mid-level" network.

	The choice of connecting a commercial or educational
institution to the Internet via a commercial service provider or via a
not-for-profit so-called "regional" or "mid-level" service provider
depends on what services are being sought.  In all cases, there are
appropriate use guidelines to consider when sending traffic across a
subsidized portion of the Internet, particularly the NSFnet backbone.
Permission to use the NSFnet backbone comes from the NSF DNCRI headed
by Steve Wolff.  These considerations apply to traffic from commercial
service providers as well as subsidized and unsubsidized "mid-level"
networks.  

	The reasons I can think of to use a commercial service
provider versus your friendly neighborhood mid-level is:

	a) you have some traffic that does not fit your mid-level
network's appropriate use guidelines and a commercial concern offers
you a way to move that traffic to where it needs to go.  Some
not-for-profit mid-level networks allow any kind of traffic within
their networks.  NYSERnet is the first, to my knowledge, to announce
unrestricted use of NYSERnet by members.  I predict there will be
others.  However, there are no non-subsidized paths among the
mid-level networks today.

	b) you think that the commercial service provider offers
better service according to some metric than your mid-level network
for access to the Internet.  If what you really want is access to the
Internet and not some private or commercial internet, then a
commercial service provider is equivalent to a mid-level service
provider (for moving datagrams) since you are bound by the appropriate
use guidelines in either case.  Just because you get your connection
from a profit making outfit does not entitle you to pass any traffic
you wish across the NSFnet backbone, BITnet, or any mid-level network
you please.  So, you choose service according to the criterion of who
does the best job connecting you to the Internet and who offers you
the mix of services you want and are willing to pay for.

	I hope this makes the relationship of the mid-level networks
to the commercial service providers a little clearer.  I should note
that Uunet is not-for-profit, so perhaps we should refer to subsidized
and unsubsidized service providers, rather than the commercial versus
non-commercial labels.  Or perhaps we should talk about national
versus "quasi-regional"?  Nah.  Competitive versus uncompetitive?
Maybe.  :-)

	Now for my equal time plug; anyone who is interested in a
connection in the Northeast neighborhood should contact John Rugo, the
business manager for NEARnet, the New England Academic and Research
Network.  NEARnet is a not-for-profit network service provider.

	jrugo@nic.near.net
	(617) 873-2935

	John can tell you exactly what you get and how much it costs
and he can give it to you in writing.  I understand there may be other
not-for-profit or even commercial service providers thinking about the
New England area.  Lots of choice for you.  Perhaps that is the
meaning of "commercialization" of the Internet.  Choice for the users
who pay the bills.  Sounds good to me.

	Kent England, one of the Boston University NEARnet reps