This isn't 100% operational in nature, but I can't seem to get the answer anywhere else, so I'm hoping I can get an answer from this crowd.
I am looking for transit at the moment, and am interested in reducing the cost of the WAN access line, as well as reducing the set of points in my network where I have external non-customer traffic flowing.
What providers are currently selling transit services over the MAEs?
I am willing to reduce (or write off) the SLA's, and to work with other providers to create an arrangement that makes sense.
The Worldcom people no longer have restrictions on what their customers do over their MAE-ATM connections, so it would seem like a smart decision for networks to start selling transit over this, just like any other 3rd-party access cloud-- such as a Verizon Frame Relay cloud, SMDS, etc. Equinix and the PAIX don't seem to have any restrictions on this sort of arrangement either. I am also interested in considering point-to-point cross-connects at the exchanges for transit, but don't know what providers are physically located at the exchanges. (we all know that some of the smaller networks have been doing this even since the FDDI days-- often without even setting next-hop-self..)I don't want to start any "why would you use ATM" or "Worldcom is good/bad" discussions, but simply want to know if anyone in the ISP space is entertaining such arrangements. ****Again, I'm not looking for opinions on a specific exchange operator, or whether or not it's smart on my part to rely on a third-party-- I just want to know if operators out there are offering this.****
Please forgive what might appear to be a non-operational question-- it's just that the sales people at most of the major networks don't seem to understand what I am asking for, and when they escalate, they don't explain it well, resulting in their engineering or product teams thinking that I am asking for no-cost peering or something. I do recognize that some networks only have peering boxen at the exchanges, and not customer edge routers. I also realize that most exchange points seem to be migrating to multiple locations with a cloud interconnecting them. (in the same region, anyway.)
Please send all responses back to me off of this list. If someone is interested in a summary, contact me directly, as I don't plan on posting the results to this group.
Thank you.
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