Somehow I don't think the Tier 1 "definition" will ever be defined and agreed upon. Marketing depts. throughout the industry have used it and all come up with their own definition to suit their network

No kidding. I once encountered a hole-in-the-wall provider in Seattle that claimed to be "Tier 1." When I disagreed he had the gall to tell me that he was an Internet guru and had originally coined the term "Tier X." So much for truth in marketing. Unless a user is trying to do cross-country VPN, a good regional multi-homed provider has the best performance, quality and service IMHO. Matt