If it was a requirement for Linux to be hosted in a data center, it would fit in such a category. It is not the case for Linux but for FIBRE, almost, it is.
One needs to setup a relay network of nodes that trust each other, to eliminate as much as possible hopes, thereafter this network is used by bitcoin nodes just as a service.
My point is you can't eliminate hopes and reduce the distance between bitcoin nodes, without giving-up with crucial bitcoin p2p relay network features. This is why you need to keep legacy protocol running, no matter what.