[MLB-WIRELESS] Interstate meshing

[Ash Nallawalla]

> From: Steven Haigh

> Maybe iinet won't do it for home subscribers, but maybe if 
> somebody approached them, then they might do something 
> special... it's still internal traffic, and very cheap for 
> the ISP to run - not to mention great publicity...

I am about 100 messages behind in this list, but I thought I'd join this
thread before there are a hundred more.  A few comments...

The $5 membership fee is going to prove a frequent thorn for the
committee every time a good idea cannot be pursued through a lack of
money.  I have been involved with PC user groups for 21 years, mostly
with Melb PC (biggest in the world) but also with an international body
of user groups. I started their ISP service in my lounge room but now it
is in a data centre.  It has some restrictions, but it has 6000
subscribers.  Soon, it will colocate with a national ISP and there may
be local POPs in a few cities.  The ISP is run by a few volunteers like
me, and three of us have radio amateur licences (well, mine has
expired). They peer with VIX.  I am also their magazine editor and Melb
Wireless gets a plug in my February editorial.  As an administrator, I
get unlimited access to the Internet for free (but dialup, so I pay for
my own BigPond ADSL access).  I am also on their committee.  SIG leaders
get a free Internet account, which is not unlimited.  Every ordinary
member ($55/yr) can get an "associate" Internet account, which means
only email, newsgroup and intranet access (plus all other member
benefits).  Full ISP costs more.

Tyson is going to present Melb Wireless at their next monthly meeting.  

I don't want to predict any outcomes, but there is sufficient synergy in
the two organisations to work together, provided there is a quid pro
quo.  Several groups over the years have merged with Melb PC, which gets
little in return other than the extra members, but the smaller groups
have often become SIGs within Melb PC having an instant infrastructure
supplied for them - meeting rooms, office staff, etc.  Melb Wireless may
not want to merge with anyone, but some value proposition could be put
to Melb PC (or some other body, e.g. APANA, LUV etc).  That approach may
have more success than approaching a commercial ISP.  In 1993, Melb PC
worked jointly with APANA to buy a shared ISDN pipe and knowhow to set
up a full-featured ISP (and out of my lounge) but they did not need to
merge.  After one year the two groups went their own way but remained
network peers for a long time.

- Ash


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