Re: Linux mirrors in India ?

[Suresh Ramasubramanian <mallet@xxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Jan 30, 2001 at 06:52:01PM +0000, Ruchir Tewari typed:

> tried accessing ftp://sunsite.ernet.in and get
> 'unknown host'. what's located there ?
 
Thats the wrong URL.  It's ftp://sunsite.serc.iisc.ernet.in

> i don't think it's unrealistic. big ISPs also
> play the role of content provider along with
> access provider.

Content providers, yes.  NOT download sites.  Even if they do, most ISPs would
become a tucows mirror or something similar, as there are profits in doing so.

> VSNL, which is currently the biggest indian ISP has
> access to the 75000 Km of fiber optic cable laid
> out in India by DoT - which is being grossly
> underutilized, because of not enough content in

If VSNL allows access to that, there are plenty of ISPs waiting in the wings,
panting for excess bandwidth.

> apart from ISPs, we should explore Universities,
> IITs, RECs, software technology parks and other
> institutions to do mirroring of linux related

Institutions such as the RECs have _very_ limited internet access (like a 64k
or lesser leased line shared among several hundred students)

> and other free software sites. i'm sure all of these
> have a few Gb of hard disk and a few Mb of bandwidth
> to spare.
 
My dear chap, most people have 256 kbps or so of bandwidth.  If you colo at
VSNL / Satyam and others, the rate for bandwidth will make your head spin.

So, the only way to go is to chase the ISPs for this.

	--suresh