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Lol wait, that sounds like e-mail deliverability is almost set up like cartels.

Cartel is maybe overly pejorative, but it's definitely based on relationships.

Postmasters at large ESPs and inbox providers can and will text each other to resolve issues.

This is pretty much how the internet works as well (BGP, etc). It's opaque, but open.

But is the Internet really as centralized as Email has become? I was living under the impression that Internet backbone providers where more diversified than that.

With BGP, you are usually only peering with a couple entities unless you are yourself in the "big boys club". It's a relationship business, but you only need a relationship with the handful of engineers who are on the other side of your own links.

Mass sending is controlled by sendgrid and the likes of that.

Sendgrid is no silver bullet for deliverability. They have many IP addresses listed in blocklists. https://check.spamhaus.org/sbl/listings/sendgrid.com/

Curiously my domain shows as zero but it's part of at least one RBL.

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