IP: Access Wars between ISPs and Telcos

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Date: Sat, 14 Oct 1995 15:39:21 +0900
From: shumpei () glocom ac jp (Shumpei Kumon)




     Reading this week's Internet Week article on "Access Wars Brewing, Pit ISPs
Against Telcos," I was somewhat shocked to learn that MCI, the company for
whom Vint Cerf is working, is going to introduce "service level agreements
and settlement systems similar to those that the long distance companies
currently have to pass long distance traffic" in the Internet access
business.  MCI is quoted to be "convinced that such agreements and
settlements systems are necessary for the continued growth of the Internet"
 because "for the Internet to sustain its growth, commerce and business
really need to trust the Internet to carry traffic."


How come could MCI decide to take such measures?  What will be the impacts
of such  access wars on the future of the Net?  How NTT, who is about to
launch the project to develop Open Computer Network based on the "best efforts"
principle, will react to it?


**********************************
Shumpei Kumon
Director
Center for Global Communications
International University of Japan
Harks Bldg, 6-15-21 Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106
Tel: +813-5411-6677
Fax: +813-5412-7111
URL http://www.glocom.ac.jp/
e-mail: shumpei () glocom ac jp
***********************************