Thousands. Once upon a time, the telecommunications companies who ran/run the internet had more open peering policies and it was possible to have a Mom & Pop ISP that connected to the major exchanges. They could offer web hosting and colocation (your machine, their racks) as additional services and people could have a nice little business.
Then the big boys started excluding smaller providers, starving them like a gazelle with a broken leg until the hyenas of Larger Business swept them up. To be sure, there was also plain, MBA-style consolidation, but restricting peering prevented new independent providers from replacing them (yet another instance of Boomers pulling up the ladder after themselves).
Then the big boys started excluding smaller providers, starving them like a gazelle with a broken leg until the hyenas of Larger Business swept them up. To be sure, there was also plain, MBA-style consolidation, but restricting peering prevented new independent providers from replacing them (yet another instance of Boomers pulling up the ladder after themselves).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peering#History_of_peering
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verio