Pike & Fischer sponsors a Broadband Summit every year and the one held last week billed yet another shoot-out on net neutrality with me representing Hands Off, along with Gigi Sohn from Public Knowledge, Amazon’s Paul Misener and AT&T’s Jim Cicconi. You can imagine the dread of walking into the room expecting the same kind of verbal mud-wrestling that has characterized some show-downs on this subject.

Now the good news: For more than an hour Friday morning, the four of us went at it on the policy and consumer implications of net neutrality, but not once did things dissolve into The Jerry Springer Show. I think the more responsible tone shows how the net neutrality debate has matured. There still isn’t any instance of a broadband provider blocking or degrading online content. Broadband speeds are increasing. Consumers continue to sign up. But the passion of those who favor regulation to keep the Internet open and accessible thrives and that passion is genuine.

The tone of this debate was serious and purposeful and though there were plenty of disagreements at the end of the day, many of those attending came away with some sense that there may be a way to solve the net neutrality question and move on to the bigger question at hand: how we can develop a national broadband strategy that promotes access, ensures competition, and accelerates the innovations we all want the Internet to bring to American homes and businesses.

– Mike McCurry