Before everything else, let me ask you NOT TO PAY TOO MUCH!
The reason that frame-relay costs are hundreds percents, and
sometimes even 1000% more than their real costs, is that there are
frayers who are willing to pay these crazy prices.
Now for the prices: Frame-relay costs are much lower than ISDN
costs, for both Bezeq and the ISPs. The costs of an ISDN customer
(unlimited hours/traffic) for his ISP, according to calculations I
made a few months ago, are $40-$50 per month, while the costs of a
frame-relay (64Kb) customer for his ISP per month, are only $30. The
calculations are based on dozens of sections, and take into account
various costs, like the need to have many lines with many modems (or
PRIs) for dial-up customers, many POPs all over the country (or 136)
connected through expensive lines, much more support (a frame-relay
customer never asks why the Hebrew is reversed or how to configure
his Windows to dial the number of the ISP or other stupid questions)
and don't forget - an ISDN line is CLEAN 64Kb (or 128), while FR may
be down to its CIR which usually is 0Kb.
Since the prices of ISDN are lower than their costs, most of the
Israeli ISPs are in deep loses. Some of them are not, because they
have also many frame-relay customers, which are charged 1000% and
more than their real costs. Of course, it is legitimate to charge
whatever price the ISP wants, as long as there are frayers who are
willing to pay such prices. But one of the criterions to choose a
vendor (in all of the fields, not only Internet) is whether he is
fair or not; The legitimity doesn't make a sense. So let's list the
fair ISPs, who don't charge $300-$500 for minimal frame-relay lines,
but only $30-$99. All the prices are based on either official price
lists or official web sites:
IsraServ: $30/64Kb/1-IP, $50/64Kb/2-IPs
Aquanet: $99/64Kb
Internet-Club: $99/64Kb
ActCom: $67/64Kb
*** NEVER PAY MORE! ***
It is legal to charge $300, $500, and even $1000 for minimal lines,
but it is also legal to prefer fair ISPs over "legal thiefs".
Now to Bezeq: Contrary to some ISPs, Bezeq is not a thief, but very
fair, and its business plan (about a year ago) planned to cut the
prices of frame-relay, together with other prices (like the monthly
price of a phone and ISDN line, etc.), while highering some other
prices (like Peima). However, Gronau Committee forced them to do the
opposite, so while in the whole world the prices of frame-relay go
down, in Israel they go up. It is even more funny since Gronau
recommended to have special Peima's prices for the lines of the POPs
of the ISPs, so ISDN will become a real cheap replacement for frame-
relay (assuming the ISPs will not go bankrupt because of such
pricing). In a second thought, it is not so strange: I found dozens
of mistakes and wrong calculations in the conclusions of Gronau
Committee, so it was strange if the recommendation was right...
> Anyone knows of other cheaper options for home permanent connection to the
> Internet ?
>
> Sattelite ?, Wireless ? Which ISP allows connections using this options ?
However, there are new alternatives for frame-relay, some are
cheaper (which also makes the recommendations of Gronau funny):
1. ADSL: In the following months (assuming you are included in the
experiment) it is free, after it - about $100 for 2Mb (!) line.
Of course, your ISP may limit your bandwidth, but we talk here
about the infrastructure.
Note: You must be less than 5 Km far from the nearest Mirkezet.
2. LMDS: Currently there is a tender of Missrad-HaTikshoret. The
bandwidth and the price will be similar to ADSL, but the vendor
will not be Bezeq. You need a direct air-connection with the
nearest Mimsar of this vendor, but most of the country is going
to be covered. You need to buy Zalachat and put it on your roof.
3. WLL: Another technology, which is in experiments in Israel. I
don't have too much information about it.
4. CATV: Because of the war with the DBS, there is no official
license for Internet through CATV, but 2 companies (Tevel and
Aruzei-Zahav) have their experiments with a lot of users, and
the third (Matav) published their grandiozic plans.
Note: When everybody becomes an Internet user of CATV, traffic
will be VERY bad. Imagine that all your neighbours share the
same line with you...
5. Radio ammateurs: There is a secret solution used by some radio
ammateurs. I don't have too much information about it, but I
think that some IsraCom (Za"l) customers used it successfully.
6. BreezeCom: A cheap solution which was used by acTVnet. When it
was used, there was an argument with Missrad-HaTikshoret
regarding to its validity, but now it is valid for sure.
7. DBS: Prosper Avitbol promised Internet, but in the beginning it
will be only one-way. I don't have too much information about it.
Notes:
* Some ISPs may replace your IP or deny packets to your 80/23/25/
etc. ports, or charge extra prices for avoiding these limitations!
Be ware!
* You need good connections for being enjoying most of these
technologies. But with good protections, who needs connections ;-)
> Well, i have FR in my house.
> The cost are about 14000 SKL one time installation and 750 SKL per month
> for Bezeq.
14,000? Bezeq's price is 900 NIS. ISP's price is cheap, and in most
cases even bundled in the global price.
If you don't lease a router but buy it, it costs some money, but I
recommend. If you have a Cisco router, you can use many scripts
spreading around the net, use MRTG, and have many other benefits.
--
Eli Marmor
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