On Mon, 26 Jan 2004, Cleave Pokotea wrote:
With IP traffic(packet switched) an Internet message is broken down into many packets that may be individually routed over many different networks to arrive at the endpoint where they are reassembled into their original, coherent message. Individual messages therefore do not occupy a defined circuit for a defined time. So, how is International traffic differentiated from local traffic in NZ? How do ISP's deterine what traffic has originate locally?
I am assuming there are two main methods of Inter-connection used in NZ; 1. Sats, 2. Southern Cross (?) cable. Is traffic classified (?) at the main entry points or are ISP's classifiying traffic via IP ranges (The dotted quad ranges seem's a rather ad-hoc method) and / or other methods?
Generally traffic value is determined by which circuit it flows across. a) if data flows across expensive circuit A then it is billed at X rate b) if data flows across less expensive circuit B then it is billed at Y rate c) if data flows across cheap circuit C then it is billed at Z rate If half the data flows across circuit B and half across circuit A then the billing is split according to how much traffic flows across which line and what rate was allocated to that line. There may be other ways that people use to determin traffic costings with differing levels of sucess. As far as interconnection goes - anyone who wants to run a circuit to anyone else can interconnect with them - there are no regulated requirements that say "tho shalt only interconnect with a telco type" - this is the principle which places like WIX and APE work on (there may be other points of interconnection in and out of New Zealand as well, examples only) -- Steve.