you seem to me to imply that the only way small players had to peer with the big boys at the NAPs....ie run default free....was by cheating, via failing to use "next hop self" in routing. That did happen. but the majors were also participants in explicit peering agreements with upwards of 40 to 60 other players.....some have told me so directly. how could they have figured it reasonable 6 to 12 months ago and now turn around and end it in anything other than a sheer naked anti competitive power grab? Peter lothberg expressed the intent of the majors quite well ...... a handful of huge players worldwide..... (5 to 8?) and everyone else a customer. that's NOT the internet I want to see. ************************************************************************ The COOK Report on Internet For subsc. pricing & more than 431 Greenway Ave, Ewing, NJ 08618 USA ten megabytes of free material (609) 882-2572 (phone & fax) visit http://cookreport.com/ Internet: cook@cookreport.com On line speech of critics under attack by Ewing NJ School Board, go to http://cookreport.com/sboard.shtml ************************************************************************