ISPs form focus group

Nine Internet providers today formed a group called Iops.org, largely to focus on industry-wide technical issues.

The group includes ANS Communications, AT&T, BBN Corporation, EarthLink Network, GTE, MCI, Netcom, PSINet, and UUNet.

"Iops.org will focus primarily on resolving and preventing network integrity problems, addressing issues that require technical coordination, and technical information-sharing across and among ISPs," the group said in a statement. "These issues include joint problem resolution, technology assessment, and global Internet scaling and integrity."

It also is aimed at ensuring that the Net remains "self-regulating," as one executive put it.

ISPs increasingly have come under fire for outages and delays brought on by the Net's rapid expansion. They also face some regulatory pressure, including moves to levy taxes on them.

The group will be run by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives, a not-for-profit organization that specializes in information technology.