Nitro: Can you share some specifics of a connection (from where, to where, vendor, ping times)? Do they actually run over separate backbones, or are you just getting a fixed (and perhaps more direct) route across a particular vendor's network, avoiding other vendors in the process?
I get times down in the 10-20ms range over cable modem and DSL to sites that are reasonably local (in the LA area), 30-40ms inside the state, and 60-100ms across the country. If it touches Alternet, it tacks on another 20ms or so :-(