IP: NYT Digital Commerce: Mergers Threaten Internet's Informal System of Data Exchange

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/02/biztech/articles/14digi.html

>February 14, 2000
>
>
>DIGITAL COMMERCE
>
>Mergers Threaten Internet's Informal System of Data Exchange
>
>By DENISE CARUSO
>
>Last week's Web site attacks were a vivid reminder that technology's sword
>of individual empowerment has a wicked double edge. But the term for the
>attack technique -- denial of service -- has the potential to assume an
>equally ominous meaning as telecommunications giants continue to merge
>their large holdings.
>
>As we know, the Internet is a network of networks. In the beginning of its
>commercial ascendancy in 1995, this meant that the largest of the Internet
>service companies -- known as backbone providers -- had to interconnect
>with their competitors.
>
>Using the network access points, or NAPs, that were formerly financed by
>the federal government, they built businesses delivering data among
>networks. And in the early days, not much more than a handshake between
>backbone engineers was needed to ensure that these companies would pass
>along one another's data, all for the greater good (and growth) of the
>market.
>
>This "you scratch mine, I'll scratch yours" arrangement is known as peering.

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