[geeks] News server access

[Brian Hechinger]

On Mon, Aug 13, 2001 at 04:15:58PM -0400, s at avoidant.org wrote:
> 
> Wow. What's SMDS and why's it so much? Like Brian said earlier, I could
> have a full T-1 for less than $500/month, were I willing. 

from what it sounds like, they were trying to build a frame-relay type cloud
using Ts and such to connect to it.  sounds rather nasty to me.  and definetly
does seem to make sense the same way that F/R does.

> Interesting. I was under distinct impression that if DSL's available to
> you, it's available through any company offering it.  Actually, I have
> to admit, the rule as I understood it went the other way; once someone
> told you it *wasn't* available, it meant no-one could get it to you. But
> I definitely figured it went both ways.

nope.  if it isn't available in your area, that's because either you live too
far away from the CO in which case you are screwed, or that no-one has put a
DSLAM in you local CO yet.  no DSLAM == no DSL.  SO.  the flip side of that is
when there is service in your area, that means that someone put a DSLAM in the
local CO.  there is a good chance that it was the phone company, but Covad was
doing pretty well at keeping up with telecos.  so, you will have one of a 
handful of line providers in your area.  i'm connected to my ISP via Covad. so
in the CO in my area, my ISP is leasing lines from Covad or something like that.

ok, now you would think that anywhere Covad is, there too should be my ISP. but
it doesn't seem to work that way.  i have a friend who is out of my ISP's 
coverage area, but he has a Covad line.  so there is some sort of deal that the
ISPs make with the line providers.  not sure how it all works, but that should
hopefully clear it up for you a bit.

hope that makde sense.

-brian