Is there any limit what a provider can write in a peering criteria? Imagine: AT&T, C&W and UUNET announce new peering criteria. They will only peer with companies without the letter "P" in their name. PSI, failing to meet the publicly announced peering criteria, must buy transit or face the termination with extreme prejudice of traffic exchange with other providers. The spokesperson for the Three said, "All PSI has to do is change its name, its not our fault, we have no choice. Its in the peering criteria." This seems to be very much a telco mentality. We wrote the tariff, but we have no choice but to kill you because its in the tariff. Yes, we could change the tariff in less than 24-hours, but that's not in the tariff. So you must die. Sorry, there is nothing we can do. Peering criteria seem to be nothing more than a fictional fig leaf. Peering is a straight business relationship. Which provider is hurt more by the termination of peering. If you think it will hurt the other provider more than you, you'll terminate the agreement. If you think it will hurt you more, you'll fight to keep it in place.