On Sun, 9 Feb 1997, Randy Bush wrote:

I think the proposed Access Tariff is a serious matter. But I think it might be better discussed elsewhere, as it is a business not an ops issue, and is likely to generate some volume for some time.

Send a message reading subscribe com-priv to listproc@lists.psi.com and bring up the issue there. com-priv discusses anything related to policies and regulatory affairs. Michael Dillon - Internet & ISP Consulting Memra Software Inc. - Fax: +1-250-546-3049 http://www.memra.com - E-mail: michael@memra.com

Their page said Comment Date: January 29, 1997 new! Reply Comment Date: February 14, 1997 new! when I checked just now. Where did you get the dates you mentioned? -S.

The detailed background info on this issue can be found on Page 1 of WebWeek, Jan 20, 1997. "ISPs Could Owe New Fees To Telcos if FCC Gives its OK". FCC has an email box at isp@fcc.gov for ISPs and consumers to send informal comments. The deadline is Feb 21, and March 24 is the dead for replies to comments.

FCC will post the comments at

www.fcc.gov/isp.html Hong Chen 408-567-3800 (tel) hchen@aimnet.net 408-567-0990 (fax)

On Sun, 9 Feb 1997, James R. Fisher wrote:

...

What appears below is an unsubstantiated rumor, but some rumors are true... -jrf ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

...

Return-Path: bbb@acm.org Date: Sat, 8 Feb 97 16:41:22 EST To: fnc@web1.hpc.org, lsn@hpcc.gov From: "Bruce B. Bottomley" <bbb@acm.org> Subject: Fw: Telephone charges for Internet

Does anybody know if there's truth in this one? The concept doesn't sound extraordinarily unlikely given the info we received from the FCC rep at FNC a few months back about central office loading, allocation of costs and revenues, etc., but the lack of publicity associated with this--if true--is a bit surprising.

...

Subject: Fwd: Telephone charges for Internet

...

I am writing you this to inform you of a very important matter currently under review by the FCC. Your local telephone company has filed a proposal with the FCC to impose per minute charges for your internet service. They contend that your usage has or will hinder the operation of the telephone network. It is my belief that internet usage will diminish if users were required to pay additional per minute charges. The FCC has created an email box for your comments, responses must be received by February 13, 1997. Send your comments to isp@fcc.gov and tell them what you think. Every phone company is in on this one, and they are trying to sneak it in just under the wire for litigation. Let everyone you know hear this one. Get the e-mail address to everyone you can think of.

isp@fcc.gov

Perhaps this is not contributing significantly to the S/N ratio on the operational mailing list and not without a potential to interrupt the non progress that some are making in their mission to establish interplanetary name services - read on. I'd like to thank Hong and Simona for pointing out the deadline for comments to the FCC and take a moment of your time to plead to the technically minded for a serious contribution to how the regulatory laws regarding interconnection between our networks are about to be written. A few data points rather than a policy diatribe: a) The "free peering" relationship is directly analogous to a "bill & keep" interconnection relationship between traditional telephone companies. b) Under the Communications Act of 1934 As amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ("Act"), "telecommunications carriers" are under obligation to interconnect "with the facilities and equipment of other telecommunications carriers..." (Act, Sec. 251 (a) (1) c) The term "telecommunications", as used in the Act means "the transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received" Act, Section 3 (43) Like it or not, the FCC is now obligated to translate this into regulations that will surely be litigated and enforced. It's just my guess but more than a few of us have an interest in the outcome of the first round of regulations in this area. We have just a few weeks to file something meaningful. To be sure, those with interests that may not exactly coincide with your own will file comments. Whole Earth Networks will be filling formal comments utilizing specialized legal counsel. I'd encourage others to do so. It is true that numbers count when regulatory bodies get around to doing their knitting. To date, we ISP's in haven't paid much attention to this telco regulatory stuff and it could cost us real big if we don't take a serious interest in what these folks are about to draft. --david David S. Holub President CTO Whole Earth Networks (Hooked and The WELL)