🚀 go-pugleaf

> What I think you want to ask is whether AARNet will allow a group of
> otherwise unrelated sites/organisations/people to join together for
> the sole purpose of paying a combined fee to aarnet rather than each
> paying separately, and if so, under what conditions?
...

>> Perhaps it's time Geoff or Peter put in a word here?
> Perhaps.

I don't think the current structure of the mail access program
can adapt well to this.

What is being pushed here ...

From the AVCC:
   a) it's (currently) a private network for use by academics and researchers
      => use is to conform to Appropriate Use policies

   b) it's user funded
      => all external users should pay their way (in some fashion)


From the "group of otherwise....."
   a) we see some value in mail access, and want to connect to the network
      => as long as its "cheap"

   b) we want a network which can be used without limitation regarding
      appropriate use
      => a system analogous to a public utility operation

Now  I'm  open  to suggestions as to what is the next step here - 'cause right
now the kludges which have lead to the acceptance of the uu.oz.au  domain  are
very unstable from an AVCC perspective. 

Perhaps  its  time  we  understood  the  nature  of the problem here, and then
started looking at mechanisms which may address these. The flat annual payment 
answered a number of issues, but incremental volume based tariff regimes  also
have a legitimate role for lower volume clients of the networked enterprise. 



SO  I've attempted not to answer any of the questions posed to date - I simply
don't think the policy-based answers I could provide are attuned to the actual 
issues going on here. I'm interested in seeing further input right now.


cheers,

Geoff

-- 
Geoff Huston,                           	e-mail: G.Huston@aarnet.edu.au
Manager,	 				phone: +61 6 249 3542
Australian Academic Research Network		fax:   +61 6 249 1369