Metro networks go wide - Nontraditional carriers are bringing high bandwidth links to far-flung areas.(Road Runner)

MANs (metropolitan area networks) have been around for some time. Companies such as Yipes took advantage of the fiber glut in major cities to offer intracity connections with throughputs of 1Gbps or faster at low prices. For large enterprises with many offices or partners in a relatively limited geographic region, this type of connectivity can dramatically increase bandwidth while cutting WAN costs.

But for companies outside the city hub, these networks aren't available, and traditional WAN interconnects have historically been the only option. In the past year or so, nontraditional carriers have been offering MAN-type services in relatively rural areas, effectively …