IP: NYT Digital Commerce: Mergers Threaten Internet's Informal System of Data Exchange

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

http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/02/biztech/articles/14digi.html

> February 14, 2000
>
>
> DIGITAL COMMERCE
>
> Mergers Threaten Internet's Informal System of Data Exchange
>
> By DENISE CARUSO
>
> Last week's Web site attacks were a vivid reminder that technology's sword
> of individual empowerment has a wicked double edge. But the term for the
> attack technique -- denial of service -- has the potential to assume an
> equally ominous meaning as telecommunications giants continue to merge
> their large holdings.
>
> As we know, the Internet is a network of networks. In the beginning of its
> commercial ascendancy in 1995, this meant that the largest of the Internet
> service companies -- known as backbone providers -- had to interconnect
> with their competitors.
>
> Using the network access points, or NAPs, that were formerly financed by
> the federal government, they built businesses delivering data among
> networks. And in the early days, not much more than a handshake between
> backbone engineers was needed to ensure that these companies would pass
> along one another's data, all for the greater good (and growth) of the
> market.
>
> This "you scratch mine, I'll scratch yours" arrangement is known as peering.

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