Thursday, February 22, 2001

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Thursday, February 22, 2001

Internet service, haircut coupons
among hot topics at Iwakuni meeting

By Greg Tyler
Sasebo bureau chief

IWAKUNI MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, Japan — Some base residents are irked about plans by the base Internet provider to restructure its fees.

The Internet issue and several others were discussed Tuesday night at the base’s quarterly town hall meeting at the Marine Memorial Center. More than 300 community members attended.

Tara Redmond, director of Iwakuni’s Japan Enhanced Network System Corporation, said the ability of customers to connect, especially during evening hours, is hampered by busy signals. She said some users stay connected while they are asleep or away from their computer.

At present, JENS charges $35 a month for unlimited Internet access, and $299 on an annual basis. The new structure, if implemented, would likely be based on the amount of time a user is online.

Azalea Fluellen, manager of the Iwakuni JENS office, said Wednesday morning that she is "not at liberty" to discuss the details of any new rate plan because negotiations continue with base officials.

"Nothing has been finalized," she said. "And we don’t have a time frame at this point."

Lance Cpl. Cheryl Taylor, a member of Fixed Wing Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212, asked Redmond why the company couldn’t use software that terminates the connection of an idle user.

Redmond said that JENS has the capability, but "the problem is that there is software out there that will fool the servers into believing the user is busy using their connection all day long."

She said JENS recently began freezing all new registrations for service until the connectivity problem subsides. "And we have about 75 people on the waiting list as of now," Redmond told the crowd.

Taylor used the forum to remind Internet users attending the meeting that Internet service providers are available on the Japanese economy.

Iwakuni’s JENS service maintains a four-to-one ratio of users to the number of connections they operate. Redmond said the norm for Internet service providers in the United States is about 15 to one.

In another issue, dozens of the Marines attending the meeting wanted to learn why Marine Corps Community Services recently cancelled the use of coupons for haircuts, beauty shop visits and laundry service that it distributes through its Preview magazine. After losing the $2 discount beginning March 1, haircuts at Iwakuni will cost $6.

"That was costing the base for every haircut, and that is money we need for MCCS," said Lt. Col. Larry Alexander, director of MCCS. "These are supposed to be revenue-generating activities."

He said the money saved by doing away with the coupons would go into MCCS funds that are redirected into other programs for the community.

"It could be anything from improving Club Iwakuni (the base’s tri-club), more equipment for outdoor recreation, continuing free movies at the Sakura Theater, new gym equipment, youth sports or any of a multitude of projects," he said.