If NSF were to waive the NSFNET Backbone Service AUP **for the sole purpose of assisting providers in effective CIDRization/aggregation to avoid Internet collapse**, would that be of any help?
I have alerted the NSF Counsel to this possibility, and they are of course concerned that everyone will cancel their current commercial contracts, switch their traffic to NSFNET, and hurl all the private providers into bankruptcy.
I should welcome your comments; if you support the idea (the waiver, not hurtling into ruin), I may also enlist your help convincing Counsel and the IG.
I see no reason to waiver the AUP. Essentially adherence to the AUP has been based on an honor system up to now, and I don't see any reason why this should change. What would make sense is to: - have all interested service providers sign a (formal?) agreement that they will inform their customers of the restrictions on usage of the NSFnet backbone service (possibly adding an explicit pointer to the AUP in their contracts). - do away with the PRDB / NACR's. I really don't see how this would significantly change the current situation (expect that we would all have less work). Simon Poole