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This article is actually over a year old, but I found it really interesting. Several sites, including handsoff.org and don’tregulate.org (both of which oppose Net Neutrality) are actually funded by a lobbying firm, TSE Enterprises, a lobby whose member oganizations consist almost entirely of telecommunications companies. This explains why there is something very…I don’t know.. empty.. about the sites. The people who run the sites are very anonymous, especially when compared to something like savetheinternet.com.

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Hands Off The Internet, a group opposed government-regulated network neutrality, is actually siding with the supporters of the cause.. at least for the moment. They are supporting the FCC’s investigation over the recent fiasco involving Comcast’s blocking of Bittorrent activity.

“Network neutrality advocates and the industry-funded lobby groups that oppose it in Washington rarely agree on issues, especially when those issues involve network filtering or throttling. That’s what makes last week’s letter from Hands off the Internet (a telco-backed group opposed to government network neutrality regulations) such a surprise. The group told FCC Chairman Kevin Martin that it supported an FCC investigation into Comcast’s alleged BitTorrent blocking.”

I contacted him to urge him to work in Congress to protect Net Neutrality. Here is the response I got a few days ago:

Dear Mr. Sawyer :

Thank you for contacting me regarding network neutrality. I appreciate hearing from you.

The Internet is a vital communications tool for millions of Americans. The speed and ease at which inf ormation can be retrieved over the Internet is unparalleled. The applications and devices that can be used on the Internet enable families and friends to stay connected, businesses to accomplish their goals, and students to conduct research.

Net neu trality is the concept of allowing Internet service providers to block or discriminate against certain content on high-speed networks. The core disagreement regarding this concept is the question of whether the phone and cable companies that control the n ation’s broadband infrastructure will be able to charge for faster access to certain websites.

Currently, S. 215, the “Internet Freedom Preservation Act,” is pending before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. This bill requires that each broadband service provider shall enable any content, application, or service made ava ilable via the Internet to be provided on a basis that is reasonable and nondiscriminatory.

As this debate goes forward, and the Senate begins to consider this legislation, I will work with my colleagues to ensure fair market competition and the prote ction of consumers.

Please contact me if I can be of assistance to you in the future. In the meantime, if you would like to receive timely e-mail alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my w eb site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov .

Very truly yours,

Saxby Chambliss

I can only hope that he’s sincere. If you try to search his website for anything related to network neutrality, you don’t get any results. Also, according to this article over a year ago, the representative from District 9 of GA, Charlie Norwood, voted “NO” on the subject of Network Neutrality. Rather upsetting, I think. Maybe over the past 17 months he has had a change of heart?