brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton) (02/04/90)
PSI, the commercial operation that now runs Nysernet and Nearnet (NY and DC regional tcp/ip networks) would like to come into Canada sometime next year. They offer, at least in the US, fixed price USENET feed & email access for $75 per month. They do this by having a large tcp/ip net, and putting terminal concentrators in local dialing areas. If they put that in Toronto, I suspect they would charge more than the $75. They say they will let you on their tcp/ip net in the US for $10,000/year at 9600 bps. This is less than ONet or the old Nysernet costs. It remains to be seen what they will do. If enough people are interested, either PSI or uunet's "alternet" would come to Toronto. This would do lots of good for people in Toronto, but the rest of the country would not benefit a lot. Data lines in this country are still ridiculously overpriced. And prices on other stuff are behind the times. Did you know it costs more for me to get an 800 number for all of Canada than to get one for all of the USA? I got the USA only and skipped a Canadian one. Somebody said 800 access in Ontario is 37 cents/minute. (Plus 20% tax, I bet) I can call uunet for 55 cents/minute, plus their $2/hour charge. It drops to 22 cents/minute after midnight. UUNET sells access to the whole USA for 24 cents/minute and makes money on it. And their rate goes down at night, because US LD companies have figured this out and offer reduced wats cost at night. I would bet you can call uuent for 22 cents/minute (plus 20% tax) for less than you could call uunet north after midnight on its wats line, if I know bell. -- Brad Templeton, ClariNet Communications Corp. -- Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473