Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!hpda!fortune!wdl1!jbn
From: jbn@wdl1.UUCP (John B. Nagle)
Newsgroups: net.general
Subject: Usenet topology suboptimal
Message-ID: <170@wdl1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-Feb-84 22:08:31 EST
Article-I.D.: wdl1.170
Posted: Fri Feb 24 22:08:31 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 15:14:16 EST
Lines: 12


    Given the fact that long distance rates for US interstate calls are
such that the longest domestic interstate call costs less than three times
the rate of the shortest one, the average path length in this network is
much too long.  No path within the continental US should contain
more than three toll calls.  The total long distance bills for the net
are probably about twice what they would be if the topology were optimal.
I suggest that every site that dials faraway sites should undertake to
dial at least one site in each region defined by the first digit of the
zip coder, and that the dialed site should be one willing to dial
other sites in the same zip code block.  This measure alone should 
reduce everyone's charges.