IP: WSJ Article: Slow Crawl...

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

I find it strange that rather than facing the real issues such as how


companies get funded to make the building of a bigger backbone, we are


now in the self denial stage of the business. My general comment is B_ll


Sh_t. I have , over the years been a CB radio posibility worrier and have


so been quoted. But now I see a major maturing of the field. We can and


will build bigger routers and we will be able to carry the load of


millions of XDSL and cable modem users IF there is a way to transfer the


money from the user to the backbone carriers in a fair and profitable


manner. 




Dave






Sender: com-priv () lists psi com


From: Jim Browning <<jfbb () atmnet net>








I'm sure most of you have read either the hard copy or online version of






the Wall Street Journal article "Slow Crawl on the Internet" 


<<http://interactive5.wsj.com/edition/current/articles/SB8407531839385740


 


00.htm>.  Having WSJ join in singing the blues will have as much impact


as 


anything said to date on the general perception of the business


community.




A few points:




A.  This is the second characterization I've read (a Bob Metcalfe article






being the first, and it likely stimulated the WSJ mention) of Intranets 






being somehow a threat to Internet growth, that companies were


*retreating* 


behind Intranets.  I see Intranets as an integral part of the network, 


extending its utility and usefulness, segregating private and public 


traffic, though often over the same basic infrastructure.  The popularity






of Intranets will in fact help keep the Internet growth curve steep.




B.  I was shocked to see this quote from a *Cisco marketing director*: 


"If 


this isn't addressed, the Internet is going to become the CB radio of the






90's".  Perhaps Cisco's engineers should handle interviews? and the 


marketing guys stay behind closed doors?     ;-)     The quote was within


a 


few paragraphs of BBN saying that "You can't just buy a bigger [router] 






box, because there *is* no next bigger box".




C.  And then there is ISOC stating they "don't have much influence on 


whether Internet backbones are beefed up. Those are business decisions


made 


by companies," and some of them "don't have the resources to support the






services they are selling".  This after saying that the Internet is 


"probably going to get worse before it gets better".  Is this the way


ISOC 


wants to support its member??






My point?   Not only are we struggling with "governance issues"


surrounding 


operations, registries, etc.  Our industry needs (and lacks) an 


organization which can act as a competent spokesperson.



--


Jim Browning <<jfbb () ATMnet net>


619/643-1802   Fax 619/643-1801