IIRC, local bandwidth is "free" in that you're not paying per bit.  Transatlantic bandwidth is priced per GB, and even though it may be cheap the costs add up.  In addition, there is the issue of latency and link throughput which are likely to be better on local connections.

You are right in that if your connection is limited to 256Kbps (for example), it doesn't make a difference if you are getting the ISO from the UK or from up the road, however as connection speeds begin to go up (1Mbps, 2Mbps, 10Mbps etc) there will begin to be definite advantages in downloading locally. 

If someone can get us bandwidth and physical space, I would be happy to contribute upto $250 towards a machine for legal mirroring.  I am also happy to setup and administer the machine for six months* and handoff to someone else on the list in due course. 

Of course if we could get some stats on egress traffic we could make the mirror that much more useful :)

*quals: I ran one of the largest debian mirrors in the UK for 3 years


On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 7:26 AM, benson orina <benson.orina@gmail.com> wrote:
kindly correct me if im wrong on this. i think one of the issues come
with the packages for connectivity available i.e. the internet
packages we pay for from the isps offer bandwidth to both "our"
internet and "the other" internet at the same price. I recall reading
something on this list about being able to get 1mbps bandwidth to kixp
at a much lower cost than 1mbps to the "other" internet. I think
"local" p2p is available in a sense but the connections most of us
have doesn't make a huge differance to the end users like u and me.
Wesley brought up this issue in a previous thread. for example if im
on safaricom if i download an ubuntu iso(or any other file for that
matter) from uk and if i do it from a local server i still pay the
same amount. or if i make a video call to london and make a similar
call to a building in town i still pay the same amount.
Therefore i think that "our" internet would only come if we are
talking about cheaper and faster links locally.
Disclaimer: this is my current thinking based on my previous research.
I do welcome any corrections on this or confirmations :) as i would be
happy to be corrected.

On 24/11/2009, [ Brainiac ] <arebacollins@gmail.com> wrote:
> @rsohan ,
>
> To me, the morality of whether a download is legal or illegal is
> inconsequential. I believe an effort to develop an infrastructure for
> exchanging, downloading and sharing big files is invaluable. In whichever
> form, it will allow for download of both legal and not so legal files.
>
> What do you guys think?
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 9:21 PM, rsohan@gmail.com <rsohan@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Why not focus on legal downloads?  For example, a local mirror of the
>> common Linux distributions would not only be extremely useful but also
>> economically advantageous as it saves on outbound bandwidth and encourages
>> more people to actually give it a try.
>>
>> I'm sure that if this was actually presented in a coherent, logical
>> fashion
>> it may even be possible to get funding from industry (CISCO, etc).
>>
>> IIRC there was an effort to achieve this locally, I'm not sure if its
>> still
>> around though.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 6:05 PM, [ Brainiac ]
>> <arebacollins@gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Great! Pentest in 43 seconds. Now this is what am talking about, anyone
>>> for a KDN server pleasse?
>>>
>>>
>>> OK, lets split this:
>>>
>>> 1: Someone to offer space at the KDN datacenter or offer (me :-) )
>>> Bandwidth.
>>> 2: Someone to offer a machine with really really big space.
>>> 3: Someone to offer time and effort to help us in setting up the server.
>>> 4: Some guys to volunteer to support the platform and dedicate time to
>>> maintaining data, software and add manage memberships.
>>>
>>> We will be heading somewhere really cool.
>>>
>>> Cheers.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 8:53 PM, Simon Mbuthia
>>> <simon.mbuthia@gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Cool,
>>>>
>>>> To show my support for this, I have upped some pentesting eBooks
>>>> thereto.
>>>>
>>>> Downlinks are http://www.get.co.ke/files/get/62 for Penetration Tester's
>>>> Open Source Toolkit, Vol. 2~tqw~_darksiderg.pdf [27 MB]
>>>> http://www.get.co.ke/files/get/63 for The Ethical Hack A Framework for
>>>> Business Value Penetration Testing~tqw~_darksiderg.pdf [4 MB]
>>>>
>>>> Enjoy :)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 2009/11/24 [ Brainiac ] <arebacollins@gmail.com>
>>>>
>>>> I do hope he is listening somewhere in the background. p2p is a
>>>> necessary
>>>>> evil, and the kind of traffic it can drive to your network is super,
>>>>> not
>>>>> forgetting a development like a locally made / hosted version of
>>>>> something
>>>>> like limewire / emule. I think it would be the best utilization of
>>>>> resources.
>>>>>
>>>>> What thinks you?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 8:32 PM, James Muendo <timrick@gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>  I think Kai talking in a Skunkworks meeting that they can host
>>>>>> something that is valuable, and this is it. Anyone at KDN lurking into
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> list?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> James Muendo
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Leerick Office & Tech Supplies
>>>>>>
>>>>>> P.O Box 28016 - 00200
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Nairobi,Kenya.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Phone: + 254 725 567 508
>>>>>>
>>>>>> gtalk: timrick
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Skype: tim.rick
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> rickdeesadvantage.blogspot.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *From:* skunkworks-bounces@lists.my.co.ke [mailto:
>>>>>> skunkworks-bounces@lists.my.co.ke] *On Behalf Of *[ Brainiac ]
>>>>>> *Sent:* 24 November 2009 20:27
>>>>>> *To:* Skunkworks Forum
>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Skunkworks] Isnt it time we had torrents, p2p and file
>>>>>> sharing in "our internet" ?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> @Lmwangi, nice website.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> IMHO , wananchi vs kdn, KDN!.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> anyone with KDN willing to offer space and bandwidth? (scrap that,
>>>>>> just
>>>>>> pipe in a T1 into my home in malindi :-) )
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 7:49 PM, Lmwangi <lmwangi@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 4:16 PM, [ Brainiac ] <arebacollins@gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So, to start us off, Ive got the time, internet connection and skill.
>>>>>> (and script to accompany the whole thing). Anyone with datacenter
>>>>>> infrastructure and a rapidshare.co.ke domain?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There's get.co.ke
>>>>>> example: http://www.get.co.ke/files/get/59
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> שִׁמְעוֹן
>>>>
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