ISPA updates JINX equivalent line charges
The Johannesburg Internet exchange (JINX) serves to provide a mechanism for ISPA’s (Internet Service Providers Association) members to interconnect their networks and exchange traffic.
JINX is currently hosted by Internet Solutions in Rosebank. This means that Internet Solutions and other ISP’s in the same building can connect more easily and cheaply to JINX than other ISP’s which must make use of Telkom’s services.
Ant Brooks, Chair of ISPA’s Regulatory Committee, said that JINX’s equivalent line charges were created to try and level the playing field.
“The idea behind the charges is one of fairness. An ISP located in the same building as JINX doesn’t have to pay Telkom a monthly line rental to connect to JINX,” he said.
ISPA’s Management Committee meeting held last week addressed the equivalent line charges issue and it was decided to scrap all equivalent line charges for connections of up to 2 Mbps.
“…an updated schedule of equivalent line charges was approved. With immediate effect, there is now no charge for connections of up to 2 Mb/s into JINX,” Brooks said.
This move has already received a warm welcome by some members of the Internet community, and will most likely make JINX more attractive to small ISP’s which can self-provide into the IS hosted facility.
Unfortunately this does not solve all JINX’s problems.
William Stucke, Chairman of AfrISPA, highlights the negative effect of Telkom’s high Diginet costs. “…due to the high cost of Diginet lines from Telkom, and the (until today – see Sentech) total lack of any viable alternative, it’s still far too expensive for most of us,” he said.
Telkom and TelkomInternet’s lack of interest in JINX is also a point of contention.
“It would make a great deal of sense for the ISP industry in SA if Telkom / SAIX / TelkomInternet were to peer at JINX. Unfortunately, Telkom can make more money as a PSTN, than as an ISP, by charging ISPs for local traffic rather than by peering with them,” Stucke continued.
It is not clear how this fits in with Telkom’s more customer centric approach, but it does match their ‘not doable’ ADSL attitude.
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