[e2e] Re: economic models for access bandwidth

[RJ Atkinson]

At 15:33 18/04/01, Bob Braden wrote:
>However, an interesting observation from the discussion so
>far is that we Internet purists might actually find it useful to have some form of usage-based charging, something we have 
>fiercely resisted in the past.   Useful, because in the real world 
>a provider is likely to try to limit the kinds of service access 
>an end system can have, to limit the bandwidth that user can 
>consume.  If there were charging, there would be no excuse 
>to block arbitrary IP traffic.

I'd edit the last sentence to read:
        "If there were charging, bandwidth consumption wouldn't
be a reason for an ISP to block certain kinds of IP traffic."

        Also, I think the charging would have to be sensitive
to offered load, with peak hour bandwidth costing more than
off hour bandwidth, in order to remove ISP's incentives to 
manage traffic types.

        Also, residential ISPs cater to the masses, 
who expect their Internet access to be "secure" (whatever that 
means to them).  This sociological phenomenon has led some 
residential ISPs to block certain transport-layer ports 
because they are commonly used to attack the computers 
of the mass subscribers.

        All that noted, I *really* prefer to have a fixed sized
and moderate monthly bill for IP dialtone (as I have at present)
because it makes my monthly budgeting much easier.

Ran
rja at inet.org