[plug] isp

[Hook]

Bernard wrote :
> On Wed, Dec 19, 2001 at 11:33:35PM +0800, Brian Tombleson wrote:
> > > > iiNet are charging WAIX traffic into that as well aren't they?
> >
> > > Yes. Even though they don't have to pay for it, it doesnt count as
> > > internal. Such a shame because planetmirror is on WAIX. And has
> > > Debian. =|
> >
> > Err .. I wouldn't say this is definitive, but my understanding of the
> > situation is that it is Telstra who charge everyone (re-sellers
included) on
> > a per-Mb rate for inbound traffic to their ADSL network regardless of
> > source. Note also that Tesltra are not on WAIX nor are they ever likely
to
> > be.
>
> As I see it, iiNet's modem accounts (and perhaps CitySpan, and
> everything else not ADSL) do not charge for internal traffic. I know
> for sure that Voyager accounts (permanent) only charge downloads,
> not uploads, and only for traffic that "crosses and iiNet border",
> which they decide by their BGP routing tables, etc. This I know for
> sure.
>
> As for ADSL, last I heard that all traffic is charged for, upstream
> and down, probably due to what you mentioned with Telstra charging
> them per mb. And ADSL probably isn't going to take off until Telstra
> change their attitudes for a start. But understandably, Telstra have
> their own position to keep in the market so its hard to find
> somebody to blame.

Not true. iiNet charge for traffic heading *to* the user - downloads. This
is true for all account types, not just ADSL.

The problem with broadband is a bit more subtle than your paragraphs
suggests. Telstra don't charge by the Mb, the provide an ATM pipe of a fixed
capacity, and any ISP buying that will divide the cost by capacity and get a
"cost per Mb". Then try and work out the ratio of upload to download and use
that as a loading on the cost (because iiNet only charge in one direction).
Then you've got to recover the cost of the ADSL modem/router and the usual
costs of providing any service at all (people, equipment, floor space, power
etc) and factor in a profit margin.

With the original ADSL offering, Telstra costs were artificially high and
the numbers pretty much reserved ADSL for businesses. Now that the costs
have come down, home users can realistically pay for the service, but you've
still got to find a way of protecting the available bandwidth (the ATM pipe)
from being overloaded at some times, and close to empty at others. Viola,
differentiated charging.

Yes, iiNet make a profit from ADSL, as they should, but as someone else said
in this thread, an ISP isn't a license to print money.

Paul Wilson