🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3pioet$8g2@clark.net>, stephen@clark.net (Stephen Balbach) writes:
>In article <3pfouo$89f@skipper.surenet.net>,
>Nathan Stratton <nathan@novanet.com> wrote:
>>Scott Huddle (huddle@mci.net) wrote:
>>: I could be wrong, but I thought NSP was a term applied by the National
>>: Science Foundation for ISPs that provided inter-regional connectivity
>>: and connection to multiple NAPs.
>
>I think that is the NSF - the NSF contracts out to MCI to 
>provide a high-speed r&d network called the vBNS - the vBNS is not 
>directly part of the Internet although it does have gateways to the 
>Internet at NAP (Network Access Points).  vBNS is designed primarily to 
>connect super computers.

This is mostly correct about vBNS.  The vBNS is for research applications
and interconnects the regional supercomputing centers.  In addition,
the NSF continues to fund regionals and NAPs on a graduated scale over the
next five years.  These regionals need to purchase their transit service from 
an ISP.  These ISPs had to meet certain requirements from the NSF and it was my 
understanding that the ISPs meeting these qualifications were labeled NSPs.

But I could be wrong.

-scott