ABSTRACT
The first use of the Internet as a virtual network allowed traveling personnel to access the corporate network via dialing the transmission facility of an Internet service provider (ISP). Since many ISPs now offer unlimited dial access for a flat rate of $20 per month, the use of the Internet can be economically rewarding even when compared to the low cost of long-distance service. For example, even at 10 cents per minute, an hour of access per day for a traveling corporate employee would result in a communications bill of $6 per day or $132 per month based on 22 working days in the month. Thus, a flat rate of $20 per month for unlimited Internet access could result in significant savings when the Internet is used as a transmission facility to access a corporate computer connected to that network.
