ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the stakeholders responsible for the policy control of network neutrality, reflecting on the digital dialogic strategies used by each group. A large deterrent to public engagement rests on the perception that public policy is unapproachable and largely handed down from government elites. Construction of public policy is important for a number of reasons. First, it allows all stakeholders to provide feedback and shape policies for favorable outcomes. Second, input from various stakeholders allows policymakers to generate informed decisions with greater evidence. In the new digital public sphere, dialogic communication allows the stakeholders to present arguments that will shape a policy such as network neutrality. The 1996 Telecommunications Act reflects organizational control over internet regulation and network neutrality policies. At stake for large telecommunication organizations was the ability to operate without government oversight and control.