Re: UKNM: Cost of connecting

[Duncan Clubb]

"G. Jefferson" wrote:


> I've been looking into the cost of a lo-bandwidth leased line vs. ISDN, vs.

> unmetered DSL. Right now I'm on-line for hours a day using dial-up and it

> costs a fortune. More importantly it *feels* expensive, like when you're in

> a taxi in heavy trafic. Every passing minute costs 4p.

>

> So I looked into leased lines and ISDN. From where I live in Kent to

> Telehouse would cost c. �7000 a year for 64k. (Why don't ISPs offer local

> POPs for leased line access -- a leased line to Ashford would cost about

> �4,000 p/a).

>


Because they would need to put in dedicated bandwidth from the local pops to

telehouse or somewhere similar for each leased line that they sold - and you'd

end up paying for it.


>

> With ISDN I could stay on line from 9 am to 6pm every day of the week for 50

> weeks at 64k and it would cost "only" �5,400, so a leased line doesn't make

> a lot of sense. Is there any reason to even consider it?

>


The rule of thumb used to be that anything more than 5 hours a day made a leased

line a cheaper option, but maybe prices have dropped since I last looked.  The

big difference is that a leased line is up 24/7, which allows to you offer

services that only a permanent connection will allow (being a full SMTP node,

running your own DNS and web servers, for example).  Also, 64K from a leased

line is actually better than 64K from ISDN, due to the inefficiency of the extra

protocols that operate on non-persistent connections (like PPP).


>

> Unmetered DSL? Will it ever happen and what would the monthly standing

> charge be likely to be?

>


Wouldn't we all like to know?


>

> This isn't as OT as it might appear. Metered access is a psychological

> barrier to internet access, hence the appleal of BT's 0800 scam -- an abuse

> of position if ever I saw one. Oftel, Monopolies & Mergers, where are you?

>


As far as I'm aware, BT is not allowed (by Oftel) to offer free local calls -

it's anti-competitive!


>

> Gareth.

--

Duncan Clubb


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