The Online World resources handbook

Cheaper and better communication http://home.eunet.no/~presno/bok/13.html
The Online World resources handbook
Chapter 13:
Cheaper and better communication
Reducing the cost of using the Web
Reducing the cost of using mailing lists
Using Packet Data Networks
What is cheapest?
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Outdial services
Cheaper access to CompuServe
FidoNet grassroots playground
Other grassroots networks
In some areas, packet data services and commercial data transportation services may
help keep costs down. However, in most parts of the world, accessing through the
Internet access providers is usually the cheapest solution.
This chapter is about reducing your costs of using the web, mailing lists, and the
Internet and online services in general.
Connecting
Long distance calls may be preferable for some applications. One example: A Norwegian
Internet provider has a very lousy connection to the rest of the country's network.
Anything but reading web pages on their server is too slow for my taste. The same web
pages are normally received two to three times faster by calling long distance to an
access provider in Oslo. Therefore, this is my favorite when working under
time pressure.
Where long distance communication is unreliable, the ability to link a local call with
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Others investigate alternative routings for their data. One option is the packet data
networks. Several countries have Public Data Networks (PDNs) operated by local
telecommunications authorities. These services mey be cheaper than direct calls for
some applications, but more expensive than using other options mentioned in this
chapter.
Another option is to use traditional commercial online services like CompuServe
and American Online.
"CompuServe!" you protest. "I just want Internet." The interesting thing is that
CompuServe, American Online, and others like them, let you connect to the Internet
through their network. You can even use your web and Internet mail program. In some
countries, it may be cheaper to use CompuServe and AOL as your Internet provider.
For years, it was an exciting experience to retrieve web pages from the United States
through CompuServe. No local Norwegian Internet providers could provide the pages
you're reading now from http://home.eunet.no/~presno/bok/ at the same blitzing speed.
Having an extra route may also be important that day when your local access
providors let you down. This regularly happens to me. Late one evening, called a
journalist doing a story for the next morning edition. I provided an important web
address in the US, but the journalist said access was unavailable. I checked with two
local internet providers, and indeed, access to any US web address was impossible at the
moment. Only by going through CompuServe, could I provide the desired information.
There are also other global networks worthy of investigation. Include The IBM
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