On December 21st, the FCC is slated to vote on a net neutrality proposal, favored by tech companies, that would prohibit Internet providers from segmenting and charging for different types of Internet traffic. In the run up to the vote, both sides have been making their case with commission members. If lobbying was the only thing to affect the vote, then Internet providers would be leading the race as they have outspent the Silicon Valley contingent considerably. This is not unusual as cable and phone companies traditionally operate in a more highly regulated arena and therefore spend significant resources promoting their interests in D.C. In 2009 Internet providers and the industry’s associations spent $82 million on Federal lobbying compared to the tech industries $19 million.
Read Entire Article by AMY SCHATZ of WSJ.com
