Tag Archive: Net Neutrality

How telecoms and cable have dominated net neutrality lobbying

by Alexander Furnas and Lee Drutman

May 16, 2014 2:41 pm

With the FCC's proposal threatening net neutrality, lobbying activity looks like it's reached a fevered pitch. But for the organizations involved, especially telecom companies, lobbying has been at a fevered pitch for a decade.

Where Do Telecom Lobbyists Come From?

by Laurenellen McCann Jul 20, 2010 1:51 pm

UPDATE – 8/10/10: On Monday, August 9, 2010, Google and Verizon introduced a joint proposal for the future of Internet... View Article

Key net neutrality supporters hire former government officials to lobby

by Paul Blumenthal Jul 1, 2010 4:22 pm

Two of the biggest proponents of net neutrality rules for broadband providers involved in closed door congressional committee negotiations have... View Article

Opponents of net neutrality attending congressional telecom meetings spend more on lobbying

by Paul Blumenthal Jun 29, 2010 1:04 pm

Last Friday, two congressional committees held closed door discussions with 31 representatives from industry and activist groups to discuss writing... View Article

Former government officials hired to lobby as Congress looks to rewrite telecom law

by Paul Blumenthal Jun 20, 2010 11:08 pm

As leaders in Congress announced a series of hearings this June to tackle huge telecommunications issues with a focus on... View Article

Net neutrality: Do campaign contributions tell the whole story?

by Bill Allison

investigations

Jun 2, 2010 12:04 pm

After 74 Democratic members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski warning that the FCC should not advance net neutrality rules without explicit direction from Congress, Free Press put together a page showing career campaign contributors from PACs, employees and lobbyists of interests that oppose the measure, intended to keep the Internet a level playing field.

The biggest recipient of telecom campaign cash was Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., who took in more than $128,000--over the course of an 18-year career, that averages out to about $14,400 an election cycle. Four ...

Congressman From Comcast

by Paul Blumenthal Nov 3, 2009 1:57 pm

Philadelphia congressman Robert Brady recently joined 71 other lawmakers in signing a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) questioning... View Article

Fighting net neutrality, telecom companies, outside lobbyists, cluster contributions to members of Congress

by Bill Allison

investigations

Oct 22, 2009 10:45 pm

While the Federal Communications Commission considers the first steps toward ensuring net neutrality--making certain that broadband providers do not discriminate against high traffic sites--the telecom firms that would be affected by the rules and their trade groups have been swamping Congress with a one-two punch of campaign contributions from the companies and their registered lobbyists. Some 244 members of Congress were the beneficiaries of these contribution clusters--totaling more than $9.4 million--from January 2007 to June 2009, an investigative collaboration of the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Telecom interests and their lobbyists engaged in more ...

Comcast Blocks Public Access to FCC Hearing

by Paul Blumenthal Feb 27, 2008 6:26 pm

The Federal Communications Commission held a much noted and anticipated hearing in Massachusetts on Monday on the issue of net neutrality. Seating was limited but the hearing was open to the public. Comcast, a foe of net neutrality, decided to take advantage of the limited seating by paying people to sleep in the seats so that net neutrality supporters and others who wanted to watch the hearing would be left outside in the cold. Nice.

In relation to my previous post on coal industry shenanigans, we also need to require disclosure of these types of deceptive practices.

Congressman: The Process Will Be Abused:

by Paul Blumenthal May 8, 2006 11:21 am

Matt Stoller catches telecom industry stockholder Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) accidentally speaking the truth. From the Austin American Statesman:

The lawmakers admit their goal is not to pass definitive legislation in public in the coming weeks. Instead, they want to pass separate bills, regardless of how different they may be. The final version would be negotiated, largely in private, by about a dozen senators and representatives on a conference committee. The Senate just needs to pass "anything to get us into conference," where the real decisions will be made, House telecommunications subcommittee chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., said Tuesday at a telecom forum hosted by National Journal's Technology Daily.

Emphasis added. This is a complete abuse of the conference process and for Upton to just say this out loud is outrageous. Or as Stoller puts it, "Pretty brazen".