Subject: RE: Possible Threat to Internet Users
Date: Feb 10 08:27:58 1997
From: Bob Mauritsen - rhm at ms.washington.edu


My understanding was that even if you are only "connected", then you are
still occupying one of the paths through the phone company "switch". It
is also my understanding that having pathways through the local switch
occupied is one of the big problems. This has nothing to do with
bandwidth or data flow. The more phone lines that are "connected", the
more other people get "sorry all lines are busy now, try again later".
So I don't think we should be encouraging people to stay connected,
even though they aren't downloading something.

Bob Mauritsen
rhm at ms.washington.edu


On Mon, 10 Feb 1997, Steve Preston wrote:

> It may be nothing to worry about yet but I highly recommend that we all s=
end a note of disapproval to the FCC. If the FCC isn't swamped with email =
against the proposal, they may think its OK to relent to the idea.
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> A point of clarification
> -------------------------------
> There is a big difference between "connect time" and actually using the i=
nternet. "Connecting" to the internet via dial-up uses a line and a modem =
but those are the only significant resources used as part of the connection=
=2E Except for the increased number of phone lines at people's homes and a=
t the internet service providers, this is not a problem for the phone compa=
nies. So the phone companies are not really worried about people that just=
stay connected to their ISP for a long time - this is just a problem for t=
he ISP and their other customers. It's when you actually transfer data (e.=
g. download an web page or email) that becomes a problem for the phone comp=
anies. Data traffic uses a lot more of their system's bandwidth than voice=
=2E The recent increase in internet traffic (data) has stressed the capaci=
ty of their systems. So don't be too concerned about how long people are "=
connected". The phone companies are worried about the increase in real usa=
ge (data transfer) on the internet.
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> Charging for connect time is inequitable because connect time is not prop=
ortional to actual usage of the telephone company resources. Connect time =
charging is much easier for the phone companies to implement.
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> Steve
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> ----------
> From: =09Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney[SMTP:festuca at olywa.net]
> Sent: =09Sunday, February 09, 1997 1:11 PM
> To: =09'tweeters at u.washington.edu'
> Subject: =09Re: Possible Threat to Internet Users
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> Hi folks,
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> I sent a copy of the message to my internet provider, and got the followi=
ng answer:
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> ----------
> From: =09Jay Stewart[SMTP:cosmo at mail.olywa.net]
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> I wouldn't worry about it yet. The phone company is just playing=20
> politics. I don't think the FCC has any plans to let them start=20
> bilking us any further. We already pay over $10,000 a month to=20
> USWest for our phone lines, so I think we can make a case that in=20
> fact ISPs ARE paying for their fair share.
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> Jay Stewart
> Vice President
> Olympia Networking Services - "Olympia's Premier Internet Access"
> Phone (360) 753.3636 Fax (360) 357.6160 http://www.olywa.net/
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