Re: Bug#296807: ftp.nz.debian.org inaccessible from NZ internet
On Fri, 2005-06-03 at 02:29 +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
<snip>
> Does it? Those requirements include:
> # It must have a decent connectivity (relative to the respective
> country). [...]
>
> I don't know NZ enough to comment whether it is "decent".
> Thanks for contributing your local knowledge.
This is where it gets tricky and contentious :)
> You write "99% of the NZ Internet", but the bug report says
> "ftp.nz.debian.org is no longer accessible to the majority of
> NZ internet users" which says to me either it's available to
> <50% or the bug report is now inaccurate. Is there a
> reference about how many are affected?
Both statements are correct if you make a distinction between available
to an ISP and accessible to that ISPs customers (which is what I was
doing - sorry for not making that clearer).
The mirror in question is available to 99% of the ISPs in NZ, but the
largest ISPs in the country (Xtra owned by Telecom NZ) chooses not to
allow their customers to access it. Telecom NZ is very close to being in
a monopoly position in NZ and it's main competitor, TelstraClear, also
acts in a similar way with regard to peering by choosing not to let
their customers access the mirror.
The result of this is that the mirror is probably accessible to less
than 50% of the Internet users in the country. I don't have any suitable
references for these figures to hand sorry but .
I'm making a value judgement in stating that in my opinion the mirror
provider Citylink has fulfilled their obligations to Debian and for many
years they did shoulder the cost of paying for transit to provide the
mirror content to those ISPs who chose not to acccess it at APE or WIX.
That's my opinion if it's not agreed with that's fine, it is a
contentious issue and can be argued both ways.
Regards
--
Matt Brown
matt@mattb.net.nz
Mob +64 275 611 544 www.mattb.net.nz
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