Eric, As a matter of fact, it is quite doable. Aimnet developed a roaming server (check www.aimnet.com) that allows international ISPs to use each other's network to provide dialup services. A group of ISPs have joined a consortium GRIC (Global Reach Internet Consortium) lead by Aimnet. The roaming server is based on Radius protocol. A telco company can install modems and route the authentication to the specific ISP for authentication. I just came back from Montreal INet 96 last week and a new roaming IETF group will be started. We are working on the IETF draft for the roaming and stay tuned. Hong Aimnet -------- Begin Included Message -------

At 05:36 PM 7/4/96 -0700, Michael Dillon wrote:

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Has anybody looked at the practicality of installing modem pools in each telco switch location to grab the dialup user's traffic at the IP level and then route it to their ISP of choice for authentication and further routing. In other words, an ISP wouldn't buy phone lines, modems and terminal servers, they would buy IP access ports.

I now find that BC-Tel is offering this service in parts of British Columbia. BC-Tel is half owned by GTE.

Michael,

Also of possible interest here is that Westel, another telco in British Columbia started offering this service early 3rd quarter of last year (with Livingston Portmasters, ISP managed RADIUS authentication, and its own Internet connection) which pressured to BCTel to offer a similar service. Eric Woodward. ejw@wedirect.ca.

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