Re: Cable Modems

[Dory Ethan Leifer <leifer@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu>]

  Does anyone have operational experience with a system more than, say
  100 users on a node? There seem to be lots of operational risks although
  there are a number of very knowledgeable proponents.
  
  On a related topic:
  
  There is a fundamental pricing question with home broadband internets.
  The ISP my organization uses charges $1,000 - $2,000 per month for T1
  service. Non-scientific studies here seem to point to about $45/month
  for residential service is the max that many, even power users, will
  pay. Do we really believe that we can gain such efficiencies to drop
  the price this much? I don't in the near future. The cost of development
  of transmission systems, operational systems, billing, monitoring,
  training, capable staff, etc will be too high to offer a service of
  comparable quality at anywhere near $45. Of course if you allow heavy
  busy hour congestion, service disturbances that last all night or
  all weekend, no user consulting and preferential attachment tactics
  that favor on-line services willing to through in cash to reach
  affluent neighborhoods, maybe.
  
  Dory