Where Do Telecom Lobbyists Come From?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a bit of a conundrum. Following an unfavorable court ruling on the extent of the FCC's powers to regulate Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the FCC has gone back to the drawing board to sketch out how "Internet Services" should be defined -- but they won't be making this decision alone. A multitude of parties with a stake in the (re)definition of these services have directed their resources toward Capitol Hill in an effort to influence lawmakers into seeing things their way.

To shine a little sunlight on this process, the Sunlight Foundation developed this network neutrality primer including a micro-history of the issue, a chart to introduce you to the major players, and some graphic-packed research into the lobbyists they've brought on board.

By an overwhelming majority, most lobbyists on both sides of the issue have had experience working in Congress.

• Of the 274 lobbyists hired by AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, National Cable & Television Association, and the US Telecom Association against net neutrality, 247 worked in some capacity in Congress — that's ninety percent of the lobbyists hired. Of that 247, 201 trace their work history back to Congress exclusively; the other 47 held positions with multiple branches of government.
• For those hired by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, eBay, TiVo, and the Independent Film & Television Association (IFTA) to lobby in favor of net neutrality, ninety-three percent (147 of 158 lobbyists) had work experience in Congress. Of those, 121 worked only with Congress, and 26 lobbyists worked with multiple branches of government.