Infopeople - Archive June 1994 to June 1995: Re: Alternate Internet Service Providers

Re: Alternate Internet Service Providers

San Benito County Library (libsben2@nic.cerf.net)
Wed, 24 May 1995 22:55:39 -0700 (PDT)

Glenna,

I sympathize with you. We're small and isolated, and the nearest Internet
providers are 28 miles or more away. Luckily, a provider has risen from
the ashes - starting in Morgan Hill (28 miles), expanding to Gilroy (15
miles and still a toll call) and finally arriving in Hollister about
two weeks ago, just in time.
A couple of months our City Clerk had queried some providers -
the most optimistic said they needed (over 100 - I don't remember) customers
to be viable, and didn't think we could come close to that. So he and we
gave up. But we do now have a provider at a reasonable price - price is
changing, but about $25 a month for almost unlimited connect time, plus
about $100 initial connection fee. PPP, which gives you Netscape or
whatever capability. They say they will need about 40 customers to break
even.
So, we've got it made, but not you.
You appear to be even smaller and more isolated than we are, so
let me describe what we would have done if our angel had not come along.
PT&T has filed for a special tariff for ISDN service to schools
and libraries. This gives you two data lines - you can put 28.8
kb modems on them, but better yet you can put up to 56 kb data on each
one without need for a modem. This costs several hundred dollars start
up for digital interface equipment (instead of modems), and about $77 a
month. But the GOOD NEWS is that this buys you unlimited toll free calling
anywhere within your LATA. To us, this meant that we could call toll
free to Salinas (28 miles) and Monterey (40 miles) - cities served by
several providers. The cost of a provider would also be added, and this
price may depend on whether you go ISDN (56 kb) all the way to the provider, or
use a modem for 14.4 or 28.8 kb..
I don't know how big your LATA is. Probably includes your area
code region, and thus probably will give you toll free calling as far as San
Diego (I didn't realize what I was getting into when I started this -
that gives you toll free calling to CerfNet!). Anyway, check with PT&T
(pardon me - Pac Bell) about their "Education First" program and the
extent of your LATA. PacBell was "fined" for overcharging over a period of
several years, and since it was impractical to return the money to the
original customers, Pac Bell agreed to institute this special program for
schools and libraries. Some costs are free for the first year (mainly the
$77 a month), but as mentioned you'll have to pay several hundred dollars
for equipment. If you really can go toll free to San Diego, you should
be able to find a very inexpensive provider there.
And lastly, we plan to charge our patrons enough to cover all our
costs. We have no county funding for this. Because of our recent good
luck, we will probably start at $3 an hour, and maybe reduce that a
little as usage increases.
Let me know if I can be of help to you. I spent a lifetime in
telephone engineering, but all that means is that I know how things
work. Most of what you'll be concerned with are tariffs and other
artificial means of obfuscating the service.

Richard Fish, Community Partner
San Benito County Library
470 Fifth St., Hollister CA 95023
408 637 2013
libsben2@cerf.net