Short Take: MAE trouble could be slowing ISP traffic

Two of the Internet's principal network access points operated by WorldCom--MAE-East in Washington and MAE-West in Silicon Valley--are experiencing problems that could be slowing traffic for many ISPs, according to technicians at MindSpring. The MAEs are where major and minor ISPs "meet" to exchange Internet traffic. MindSpring said it has been noticing "substantial congestion and packet loss," but noted that MAE-West is scheduled for a major backbone upgrade this month that could double its capacity.