[can.canet.d] UUCP Services

daniel@nstn.ns.ca (Daniel MacKay) (01/11/91)

Hello!

NSTN is planning to offer UUCP accounts.  UUCP will be probably be provided
by a SparcStation running SunOS, and a single directly-connected Telebit
Trailblazer.  Our planned rates are 75$/month subscription, plus .25$/minute.  
Downstreaming of sites won't be allowed, but sites will have a FQDN for a 
site name, which I imagine should be both convenient and upwardly-mobile.

We've been designing the service for the last month or so, but as well as
being reminded of it yesterday :-), we made some final decisions about the
price and the service details.

What do the other regionals have planned for UUCP?

-dan

brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton) (01/11/91)

In article <1991Jan11.122318.27039@nstn.ns.ca> you write:
>Hello!
>
>NSTN is planning to offer UUCP accounts.  UUCP will be probably be provided
>by a SparcStation running SunOS, and a single directly-connected Telebit
>Trailblazer.  Our planned rates are 75$/month subscription, plus .25$/minute.  
>Downstreaming of sites won't be allowed, but sites will have a FQDN for a 
>site name, which I imagine should be both convenient and upwardly-mobile.

I don't mean to tell you what prices to charge, or to claim to know the
situation in the Maritimes, but it is worth noting that the going rate in
the USA is $30/month plus $2/HOUR  (3.3 cents/minute) and 24 cents/minute
gets you 800 number access during prime time hours from anywhere in the
USA, 15 cents/minute at night.   And downstreaming is allowed.   And
several companies are competing doing this and making money.   One
of them, PSInet, goes for the same $75/month but has *no* connect charges,
full and unlimited mail and news feed included in that $75, with local
dialups in most major U.S. cities.

I know the Canadian telecom system is worse than the USA, but am I the
only one who feels that this is too much of a difference?

umsmigie@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Jason Smigiel) (01/12/91)

In <1991Jan11.122318.27039@nstn.ns.ca> daniel@nstn.ns.ca (Daniel MacKay) writes:

>Hello!

>NSTN is planning to offer UUCP accounts.  UUCP will be probably be provided
>by a SparcStation running SunOS, and a single directly-connected Telebit
>Trailblazer.  Our planned rates are 75$/month subscription, plus .25$/minute.  
>Downstreaming of sites won't be allowed, but sites will have a FQDN for a 
>site name, which I imagine should be both convenient and upwardly-mobile.

>We've been designing the service for the last month or so, but as well as
>being reminded of it yesterday :-), we made some final decisions about the
>price and the service details.

>What do the other regionals have planned for UUCP?

>-dan

I'd sure like to know about Manitoba... but it seems that their current 
policy is:  No mail feeds, Usenet Newsfeed are available for download,
but replying to articles is impossible.

Is there a list of contacts for all the regional networks?

If Manitoba doesn't have a mail feed policy then maybe we can subscribe to one
in Saskatchewan or something.

Jason

sl@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Stuart Lynne) (01/12/91)

In article <1991Jan11.122318.27039@nstn.ns.ca> daniel@nstn.ns.ca (Daniel MacKay) writes:
>Hello!
>
>NSTN is planning to offer UUCP accounts.  UUCP will be probably be provided
>by a SparcStation running SunOS, and a single directly-connected Telebit
>Trailblazer.  Our planned rates are 75$/month subscription, plus .25$/minute.  
>Downstreaming of sites won't be allowed, but sites will have a FQDN for a 
>site name, which I imagine should be both convenient and upwardly-mobile.
>
>We've been designing the service for the last month or so, but as well as
>being reminded of it yesterday :-), we made some final decisions about the
>price and the service details.
>
>What do the other regionals have planned for UUCP?
>
>-dan

This is fantastic. Our average trailblazer news feeds are averaging 10 hours per
week so:

	10hrs*4wks = 40hrs*60 = 2400 minutes *$.25 = $600 +$75 = $675/month

I'll have to get in touch with everyone and let them know that van-bc is putting
it's rates up from $35/month flat fee to $675/month (depending on usage). I'm gonna
get rich, rich, rich, rich, :-)

Seriously, I rather doubt that anyone would be stupid enough to subscribe to this
type of service. In BC a 9600 bps PPP/SLIP link directly to BCNet, complete with
leased line, lease on PCrouters at each end, etc would cost less than that.

I certainly don't make any money running van-bc by asking for donations of about
$35/month to pay for the communications costs. If I was trying to make money I'd
definitely put the rates up a bit. But nowhere near the above suggested rates.

-- 
Stuart Lynne	S&L Investments Ltd.
		...!van-bc!sl 604-937-7532(voice)     	sl@wimsey.bc.ca