Getting internet access for ComputerBank clients..

[Buddrige David <david.buddrige@mitswa.com.au>]

I got a letter in the post the other day advertising their "easy-mail"
service.  Basically it is pure email - but at a charge of 25c for up-to 10
emails.  While this is rather a bit (for you and I - given that we're used
to paying a flat-rate ISP charge and having unlimited emails), it may infact
be quite affordable for a person on a low-income because thre is no ISP
charge on top of that... that is, they pay $0.25 for 10 emails but _no_
charge beyond that.

The trouble with this service is that (on the material provided by telstra)
you need Win95 or 98 as a minimum.... I am thinking this is probably only
because that's what telstra is aware of... I see no reason why any pop
client shouldn't work fine... however it'd need to be investigated with
telstra.... 

While this is email only - no www or ftp, it would nonetheless allow people
access to their local LUG emailing list, which is one-major source of
info...

Also, relevant html how-to's etc, could be emailed to each person as an
attachment... (I don't know if telstra supports attachments with this
service)...

might be worth checking out anyway... 8-)

Dave

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Dave Whitla [SMTP:ocean@nor.com.au]
> Sent:	Monday, February 08, 1999 3:57 PM
> To:	computerbank@linux.org.au
> Subject:	Re: I don't know if this is an old question - is there a FAQ
> for this project?
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Craig Sanders <cas@taz.net.au>
> To: Darrin Mison <staeci@geocities.com>
> Cc: computerbank@linux.org.au <computerbank@linux.org.au>
> Date: Saturday, 6 February 1999 9:23
> Subject: Re: I don't know if this is an old question - is there a FAQ for
> this project?
> 
> 
> ....
> >unless they were willing to pay for the service, there would have to
> >be some limits on mail sent and received (e.g. 1 MB/day or so, and ban
> >ftpmail services...if anyone is still running stuff like that these
> >days). there's no getting around the fact that bandwidth costs real
> >money and no service provider can afford to give away for free what
> >costs them a significant amount to provide.
> >
> >the uucp server would also have to have a reasonably fast net
> >connection.
> >
> 
> This is why I've been investigating the prospect of telehousing with a
> first
> tier service provider like AAPT or TELSTRA.  Example: servers provided ex
> gratia by someone like DEC or SUN housed in TELSTRAs Paddington server
> farm.
> Virtual nationwide POP provided via the same mechanism as Connect.com.
> Of all potential host ISPs Telstra or AAPT would be most likely to be able
> to absorb the bandwidth costs as they won't be paying the exorbitant line
> rental of lower tier ISPs.  It could be justified as PR expenditure.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> Dave
> 
> -- Information IS Power --
>