What is the Commercial Internet Exchange (CIX)?
This section of the FAQ is an intriguing history lesson on how a painfully divided organization attempted to hold up the Internet, and how it was discovered to be an Emperor without clothes. If you’re not curious to hear a little history, you can probably skip this section entirely. If you’ve heard about the CIX and aren’t sure what it is or what it can do, read on. It’s January of 1995, and the CIX has mainly slipped out of the news. In autumn of 1994, it seemed that you couldn’t read your mail without another mention of controversial CIX moves. Now, however, things seem to have quieted down a great deal. Here’s how things looked, circa November-December 1994: The Commercial Internet Exchange (CIX) is many things to many people. To some, it is the heroic institution separating small ISPs from the oblivion of disconnectedness. To others, its $ 7,500 a year annual fee is restraint of trade, monopolization or worse. The CIX offers to do three basic things for you: (1) Any CIX member must
