Surprise in Net Neutrality Debate

The surprise is that the debate exists at all.

By its nature, net neutrality is not a high-profile issue. It is assumed that net neutrality will be an issue dealt with by elites, by what Bob Frankston calls the regulatorium.

But the Democratic Netroots are being activated on this issue. Here, for instance, is an article accusing former Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry of pushing "Astroturf" for the phone companies. Movon.org has even launched a petition drive on behalf of network neutrality.

What got this started was the AOL Goodmail controversy, which we have covered here. But now that these groups are looking more closely, they are seeing the issue of network neutrality clearly.

This fact should not be underestimated. For reasons unrelated to network neutrality the power of these groups is due to rise after the next elections. Phone and cable companies operate with fairly long time horizons. They are not going to like to have to fight against an aroused, and networked majority in order to gain short-term advantages that can be overturned by new laws.

UPDATE: Consumers Union has also decided to enter the fray through a Web site called Hearusnow.com.

I have written many times before about this issue, and the best solution for activists is competition. If the Bells merely ended their hoarding of bits, their obsession with TV, and if we get competitive WiFi, this issue goes away.

But if the phone companies push this issue at the same time a political tsunami is taking out their friends and putting in avowed enemies, 2007 could be very tough for them. Very tough.