Re: EuroISPA and ISPS in Europe signing the MOU

[Jim Dixon <jdd@matthew.uk1.vbc.net>]

On Sun, 30 Nov 1997, Patrik Faltstrom wrote:

> > I can't comment on these; but in general the NICs are technical 
> > organizations without a policy mandate from their members.
> 
> They do have policy mandate from their members, within the area they work.

I am not sure this sentence means anything as qualified.
 
> > At the meeting in Brussels last week the POC's representatives 
> > bragged about having 180 signatories.  While this is a 20% improvement
> > over the last few months, it is still insignificant by any reasonable
> > standard.  A 20% improvement on 0.07% gets you to ... 0.08% :-)
> 
> As all major ISPs in Europe has signed the MOU, 

This is simply not true.  Several large and small ISPs in Europe have 
signed the MOU.  But there are something on the region of 1500-2000 
ISPs in Europe, if we just count those who provide leased line and dialup
access to the Internet.  So although the number of signatories in Europe
is signicantly higher than in North America, relative to the population
of ISPs, it is still at a very low level, perhaps 0.5%.

>                                                I can not see why EuroISPA
> has not signed yet. It is definitely something EuropISPA should do.

EuroISPA will sign the gTLD MOU when we are instructed by our members 
to do so. 
 
> And, besides that, what is the better, see that one organisation of ISPs
> sign the MOU, or the individual members of those organizations? For me,
> it does not matter at all. It is even better if every ISP make up their
> own mind, so we clearly see who supports and not.

I agree.  So when a significant number of the 6,000+ ISPs of the 
world have signed the gTLD MOU, let me know.  When a significant number
of EuroISPA's members have signed the gTLD MOU, I am sure that I will 
be aware of it.

> Yes, I am a member of POC, but I am writing this as an employee of Tele2,
> Sweden, an ISP which has signed the MOU, as has Telia, and many others in
> Europe.

Counting quickly, I find 63 Western European signatories to the gTLD MOU
out of the 167 listed on the Web site.  Several of these are of course
ISOC local chapters.  My guess - I don't really have time to check all
that carefully - is that a dozen or so might be ISPs.  In the UK, where
I am most familiar with the market, the signatories are

1	Imminus			- can't reach Web site or name server
2	NetBenefit		- registrar
3	NetNames		- registrar
4	Net Searchers		- name search firm
5	Networks Web Design	- design, Web hosting
6	Oyster Systems		- Web design
7	Rebel Net		- local ISP
8	Virtual Internet	- registrar  

So, since you say that all the major ISPs of Europe have signed the MOU,
either there are no major ISPs in the UK or Rebel Net is the UK's only
major ISP.

Of the UK's several hundred ISPs, only one appears in the list above.

--
Jim Dixon                                                 Managing Director
VBCnet GB Ltd                http://www.vbc.net        tel +44 117 929 1316
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Member of Council                                                 President
Internet Services Providers Association                       EuroISPA EEIG
http://www.ispa.org.uk                              http://www.euroispa.org
tel +44 171 976 0679                                     tel +32 2 503 2265