Well frustration does wear on ones patience. However, the suggestion is not without merit, but if we do a thorough analysis of UUNet's network, which is one, if not the, largest in the world, we would find that co-located facilities will share bandwidth with others which is what HTC is trying to avoid.
Also, this sticks them with one backbone ISP, which does have quite a bit of peering with others, but most of the peer points are fairly congested (MAE-West is a shining example).
Ther is also the issue of support. Companies like HTC need "turn-on-the-dime" support. I know UUNet would not be able to do this. This is not to say UUNet is a bad backbone provider, quite the contrary. For the most part UUNet is a pretty good backbone ISP, but like most large backbone companies, they cannot offer the turn around time nor dedicated support a smaller company can and that HTC needs.
If you want to attack the real problem, then I suggest writting to your Congressman. It is the FCC, FTC, and basic governmental factions that are the problem. They are rolling over for the telephone companies and playing dead, allowing the telephone companies to get away with just about anything they want.
Now on the other side of the coin, as a potential customer of UUNet, I find your attitude towards this particular independent ISP disconcerting, but measure this with the appropriate dose of understanding how frustrated the players are. I am just as frustrated with the situation as is HTC.
