If "direct connecting" != peering then definitely.
Maybe we need to say differentiate between: - Connected transit - Remote transit - Connected peering - Remote peering
And agree that, by default, transit ~= remote transit peering ~= direct peering
Without getting too complicated. transit is always direct connection to a single AS, and indirect to all others. For simplicity's sake, single-homed customer ASes behind the transit AS are not considered apart from the transit AS. It is indirect for the rest of the internet, including the sum of all peering (read: direct connection without any indirect connections) connectivity. peering is a always direction connection to a single AS and no indirect connections are expected. Again, single-homed customer ASes are considered part of the peering AS. ASes that can only be reached from a single AS can only be reached by those with a direction connection to the upstream AS. --- This model [good or bad] allows people who pay for customer-only routes from a transit provider they can't settlement-free peer with be considered in the same breath as "true peers". For technology concerns, I think this is valid. For business reasons there is probably some difference. DJ