Re: Metallic DSL in Tokyo

[Jonathan Byrne <jq@example.com>]

Simon Cozens (simon@example.com) wrote:

> of the FAQ taking this thread into account:
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 3.0 OCN
> 
> OCN is a service offered by NTT; it looks like ISDN, smells like ISDN,
> and requires an ISDN terminal adapter, but it isn't ISDN. It's an

Well, it is in the sense that ISDN is what connects you to the OCN
access point.   The OCN network itself is apparently frame relay,
or maybe some combination of frame and ATM.  Under OCN, you and
20 other customers can all be connected to the same access point.
While you may each have a 128K physical connection between yourselves
and the access point, the uplink from the access point into the
OCN network isn't a T-1 or anything like that.  It could itself
be 128K frame-over-ISDN (not certain of the uplink speed).  So
you have a lot of (potential) customers connecting to a small
frame-relay uplink with no service level agreement; it's best
effort, so you may get good bandwidth, or it may totally stink.
Depends on how many other customers are on your node and using
it when you are.

> flavours: Economy is probably the one you want, but a misnomer at
> 32,000Y a month.

Compared to the cost of an ISDN leased line (between the NTT fee
and the ISP fee, this will cost you over 100,000 yen a month,
usually), it's economy.  32,000 yen is still a lot, but until
the advent of DSL, OCN Economy was the best deal around for
people who needed, but couldn't afford, a leased line.


> exchange and their bandwidth usage. Personally, I had this service in
> Jiyugaoka and managed to almost always get the full bandwidth, with
> downloads averaging around 10 kilobytes/s.

You were doing well.  It could have been much worse.  10 kB/s isn't
full speed 128K (I get over 14 on a 128 dialup).

> Now, with ADSL approaching, I'd say the only reasons for getting OCN is
> that you can run services freely, and that it's available pretty much
> everywhere.

You can run services freely on commercial-rate DSL, too, and
for the price of:

> month. The Professional service is 26,400Y a month, but gives
> you 13 IP addresses, your own domain, primary DNS and all the
> trimmings.

Gee!  Less than OCN Economy! 

Now OCN Economy doesn't look so economical :-)

Jonathan