In message <p05001911b6bc16c992d2@[63.216.127.100]>, "Howard C. Berkowitz" writ es:
Between fading memories and NDA's, it can be hard to track how things happened...but I'm trying to put together some timelines about interprovider peering both through private peering (i.e., at what point it became economic to meet other than through ARPANET/NSFNET) and at exchanges.
Hi Howard: My memory is that it became economic almost as soon as NSFNET started. Various regional networks found, for various reasons, that it was useful to have direct connections, independent of NSFNET. Recall that at certain times in its life, NSFNET didn't have enough bandwidth to meet demand. You can probably look at some of the old Internet maps that Mike Brescia used to prepare for IETF and see the backdoor paths. (Side note to old IETF/NSFNET types -- Mike didn't keep the originals of those maps, and they are fast becoming valuable bits of history -- if you still have your copies and find you don't need/value them anymore, please donate them to the Computer Museum or another history of technology museum). Craig one-time technical director, NSFNET Service Center