In reply to Mats Brunell's open letter, I would like to offer a memorandum on the Ebone development which attempts to define a open market approach to the provision of global IP services based on an evolution of the current Ebone. This is as technically exact as my (perhaps feeble) understanding will allow, and is offered for discussion, not as a blueprint. I would welcome comments. On a first quick read, I endorse all that Mats has said. With apologies for inflicting this on such a wide audience, but I think that Mats has raised fundamental issues that should be widely and openly discussed. Dennis ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Organisational and Financial Model for Ebone '93 This memorandum is an attempt to describe an architecture for the Ebone which will lead to an Open (regulated) Market for IP services providers to offer global IP connectivity. This memorandum describes a new organisational and financial model for the Ebone which should enable the Ebone to grow and allow the participation of any interested IP network service organisation. The Ebone/EIX The Ebone/EIX is the Consortium providing the European IP Backbone Network (Ebone) and the European Internet Exchange (EIX). The Ebone provides the backbone network for all IP networking in Europe. The Ebone/EIX has no restriction of any sort on the traffic carried on the backbone network and is open to any IP Network Service Provider, as described below. The Ebone/EIX provides the routing to enable all IP Network Service Providers connected to the Ebone/EIX to route IP packets to one another and to the global set of IP Network Service Providers. Connection to the Ebone/EIX guarantees to any connected IP Network Service Provider the ability to use IP networking technology to communicate with any IP network in the Global Internet. The Ebone/EIX is organised as a Consortium of participants, with no single provider owning all the resources connected. The participants in the Consortium are the Ebone Backbone System (EBS) Providers, and the connected IP Network Service Providers (networks). The Ebone/EIX Consortium is managed through Consortium meetings with a small technical and management team providing overall co-ordination. The objective of the Ebone Consortium is to provide cost effective IP networking for the academic and research community in Europe, to facilitate the creation of and stimulate the development of commercial IP Network Service Providers in Europe, and to ensure that all IP Network Service Providers can be part of the Global Internet. The Component Parts of the Ebone/EIX are: The Ebone Backbone Systems (EBS). The Regional Backbone Systems (RBS). EBS Systems are routers provider by EBS Providers (see below) which are connected together to form the Ebone backbone network, and connected to the Global Internet Exchange (GIX) in Washington DC by high speed transatlantic connections. EBS Systems may be at a single location of distributed at several locations connected together by high speed links. EBS Systems run the routing protocols and use the routing technology defined by the Ebone/EIX Consortium. RBS Systems are routers provided by IP Network Service Providers (see below) which are connected to EBS Systems. RBS systems run the routing protocols and use the routing technology defined by the Ebone/EIX Consortium. The Members of the Ebone/EIX Consortium are: The EBS Providers The IP Network Service Providers. The Ebone/EIX technical and management co-ordination team. The EBS providers. An EBS Provider is any organisation participating in the Ebone Consortium as a provider of the backbone infrastructure. The conditions for participation in the Ebone/EIX as an EBS Provider are that:- . EBS Providers provide an Ebone Backbone System (EBS). . The EBS meets the Ebone/EIX technical requirements. If the EBS is distributed, then Ebone/EIX requirements for intra-EBS bandwidth must be met. . The technical and operational support meets the Ebone/EIX requirements. . The EBS Routing meets the Ebone/EIX technical requirements. . The EBS Provider is willing to accept any RBS connection that meets the Ebone/EIX technical and operational requirements. . The EBS Provider provides a transatlantic connection to the Global Internet Exchange (GIX) in Washington DC of bandwidth not less than 50% of the sum of all the RBS connection bandwidth to that EBS. . The EBS Provider makes the transatlantic bandwidth available for backup purposes to the Ebone/EIX. . The EBS Provider provides, by agreement with other EBS Providers, at least two independent connections to at least two other EBS Systems with each such connection having bandwidth not less than 25% of the sum of all the RBS connection bandwidth to that EBS. . The EBS Provider contributes financially to the Ebone/EIX to an amount to be determined by the Ebone/EIX Consortium. (The contributions required will vary depending on the nature of the EBS Provider. Commercial providers will make larger financial or other contributions which will be applied to the development of the Ebone/EIX for academic and research networking.) The IP Network Services Providers. An IP Network Services Provider is any organisation providing IP networking services in Europe who wishes to communicated with all other such organisations in Europe and throughout the Global Internet. The conditions for participation in the Ebone/EIX as an IP Network Services Provider are that:- . The IP Network Service Provider installs and operates a Regional Backbone System (RBS) . The RBS meets the Ebone/EIX technical requirements . The RBS routing meets the Ebone/EIX technical requirements . The IP Network Services Provider provides a connection (of not less than 64Kbps bandwidth) to an EBS. (Where an RBS is co-located with an EBS, a nominal bandwidth must be defined and traffic limited to within this defined bandwidth). . The IP Network Services Provider makes a financial contribution to the EBS as agreed with the EBS Provider. . The IP Network Services Provider makes a contribution to the Ebone/EIX to an amount to be determined by the Ebone/EIX Consortium. (The contributions required will vary depending on the nature of the IP Network Service Provider. Commercial providers will make larger financial or other contributions which will be applied to the development of the Ebone/EIX for academic and research networking.) . The IP Network Services Provider contributes financially to the EBS - GIX bandwidth costs as agreed with the EBS Provider. The Ebone/EIX Technical and Management Team To ensure the technical and financial management of the Ebone/EIX an appropriate technical and management team will be established and funded by the EBS Providers and the IP Network Services Providers. At present this technical and financial management is provided by the Ebone Action Team, the Ebone Operational Team, the Ebone Management Committee, and the Ebone Co-ordination Committee. In addition, co-ordination with RIPE is an important element in the overall technical management. <end>