Re: EFF Op-Ed from the NY Tim

[Matthew J Ghio <mg5n+@andrew.cmu.edu>]

> This is beginning to kill me!  This guy comes from the cmu.edu
> domain and obviously has never tried to get an account on a
> system outside of his institution.  Much less on one of the
> "expensive on-line services", as he put it.

ha ha ...  BTW: I did get an internet mail address not in the cmu.edu domain.

> Here's some news!  Currently the Delphi service offers full
> Internet connectivity (e-mail, FTP, Telnet, Gopher, News)
> for $20 a month for 20 hours of access.  Delphi can be accessed
> through SprintNet which means that most metropolitan areas
> will have a local dial in point.  In the near future America
> On Line has stated that in the near future they too will go
> full connectivity, they charge $9.95 a month for 4 hours
> worth of access.  AOL currently has e-mail available.  That's
> just two of the services that can be accessed from just about
> any city of any real size in the states.

True.  But I could just as well set up my own BBS for about the same price.

> Now, let's talk about those sysops that want to get connected
> to the Interet.  Here in Waco, Texas (a city of about 150,000
> people... 250,000 people if you count all the outlying cities)
> to get a 56K dedicated Internet connection would cost
> something like...
> 
> 	$ 3000.00	Router
> 	$ 1500.00	CSU/DSU
>    	$  600.00	Local Loop Termination/Installation
> 	---------
> 	$ 5100.00	One-time costs.
> 
> 	$   75.00	Regional Network membership fee
> 	$  250.00	Local Loop Charge
> 	---------
> 	$  325.00	Monthly costs.
>
> These figures are ballpark, and some are gueses based on
> experience in dealing with the regional networks here
> in Texas.  I know several sysops here that would easily
> spend $5000.00 on their board in one shot, and could
> easily spend the $300.00 a month for the connection.
> On top of all that, it is a proven fact that people will
> *pay* for Internet connectivity.

Yes, I know there are sysops who could afford this, but the vast
majority couldn't.  I know it's certainly over my budget.

> These costs are based on a dedicated 56K connection.
> A 14.4 or 19.2K SLIP connection would probably be
> *much* less!
> 
> And, as Duncan and so many others are so fond of
> pointing out.  If the gummint would get out of the
> way and let competition happen for the
> local loop these prices would drop dramatically.

Of course... Isn't this what cypherpunks have been wishing for all along?