Net neutrality proponents say grassroots support for Congressional action to prevent tiered service offerings from major network operators is growing and beginning to influence members of the U.S. Senate.

In a press conference today, leaders of the “It’s Our Net” Coalition and SavetheInternet.com vowed to keep building public pressure both to ward off any telecom bill that doesn’t include Net neutrality this year and conceivably pass a standalone Net neutrality measure next year. Most Washington observers have said it is unlikely telecom legislation will pass this year, given the short Congressional session in light of the upcoming election and the many other matters facing Congress.

“We would be quite happy to sit down tomorrow and negotiate a deal with the other side where we put Net neutrality into the telecom bill and pass it this year,” said Ben Scott, policy director for the organization FreePress, as well as SavetheInternet.com. “Failing that, we will come back next year, and we will be at the head of a massive movement that will have grown because we will keep building it, and we will have solid support to do Net neutrality next year. Realistically, it is likely to be attached to a larger telecom vehicle next year. But with sufficient pressure from below there could be a stand-alone Net Neutrality bill next year.”

Earlier this summer, Scott’s group marshaled groups of between 20 and 50 people, including consumers, small business owners, local government officials and educators, to visit the home offices of 20 different senators and put forth the Net neutrality agenda, which claims that allowing service providers to offer tiered Internet services threatens open access to the Web and will stifle innovation and hurt smaller businesses, schools and others.

As a result of those efforts, King said, four more U.S. senators--Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.); Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) and Sen. James Jeffords (Ind.-Vt.)--are now supporting Net neutrality.

“Throughout much of the summer, the story of Net neutrality was framed as Google versus AT&T as if this was purely a battle between the titans of the industry,” said Scott. “But SavetheInternet has over 1.1 million citizens and 700 businesses. On the side of Net neutrality is a true grassroots movement.”

As proof of that, the press conference included three small business owners who have joined the “It’s Our Net” coalition recently. One of those individuals, Gary Maricle, owner and president of NewMexicoChili.com, said more small business owners would be involved if they more clearly understood the issues.

“This issue was disguised so very well that it became very confusing for many people,” he said. “They don’t have time to understand the issue, they are too busy running their businesses. But small business owners are becoming more aware of it and a lot of business owners are on board.”

Scott and Jim McGinn of the “It’s Our Net” Coalition said they believe the tide is turning.

“I think the momentum is very clearly on our side,” Scott said.

Related Articles

Net neutrality unfettered

Net neutrality dies … for the moment