Jason Fortin’s op-ed piece in the May 5 Bangor Daily News (“Net neutrality – more harm than good?”) demonstrates the power of the half-truth. It is true that “the continued evolution and invention of Internet services is essential for the future competitiveness and success of our nation.” On that point we both agree.

It is also true that our elected representatives, and in particular Sen. Olympia Snowe, have long recognized the importance of high-tech communications, and that Sen. Snowe’s successful efforts to enact the E-rate program into law have led to great benefits for Maine’s schools and libraries. And finally, it is regrettably true that most Americans have far slower access to the Internet than many people in Europe, Asia, and even our own college campuses now enjoy.

But that is where the truth in Fortin’s piece ends. What is not true is that the Internet has never been regulated, or that the imposition of Net neutrality rules will harm the Internet. In fact, just the opposite is true. The telephone transmission lines over which consumers access the Internet have always been regulated until last August, when the Federal Communications Commission decided to remove the regulations that have safeguarded consumer and business access to the Internet for the past twenty-six years.

With the removal of those common carrier safeguards, the telephone company, like the cable company, is free to raise rates at will, discriminate in favor of their own Internet service provider, favor their own content and services, and even refuse to offer you broadband service at all. Do you really want to see your broadband service become just like your cable service – higher rates each year and no ability to assemble your own package of services?

Another point on which Fortin and I agree is that, in the end, it is always the consumer who pays. What is interesting is that Fortin argues that unless your cable and phone companies are free to charge you more for their services, which he already admits are slower than those available in Asia, they won’t provide you service at all.

That argument is a bit like the character in “Blazing Saddles” who holds a gun to his own head and tells the crowd, “Don’t move or I’ll shoot!” If the telephone companies don’t invest in new infrastructure, then they can’t compete in video services, and the cable companies (who are increasingly offering phone service) will eat their lunch. In addition, if the telephone companies refuse to provide service, then they won’t make any money off their infrastructure – which makes it tough to stay in business.

The reality is that the telephone companies have been regulated as common carriers for the past 70 years – the last 25 or so during which time they have been providing access to the Internet to both homes and businesses. As Fortin said, consumers have long paid for this access. But then he implies that the large Internet content companies get access for free.

Again, nothing could be further from the truth. Those Internet content companies pay for access just like every other business does – in fact they pay millions of dollars per month for that access. What they don’t want is to have to pay more to get on the new telephone or cable company fast lane – a fast lane that only has value if it is restricted to a smaller number of users – or have to ask permission from the telephone or cable company gatekeeper before they can offer their content and services.

As a small business operator who provides consumers competitive options using the phone company networks, I believe Net neutrality is essential to preserve the open Internet now and in the future. Sen. Snowe is on the right track – Congress needs to impose a set of Net neutrality rules to replace the common carrier rules that the Federal Communications Commission removed last August. Without Net neutrality, the telephone and cable companies will be free to discriminate in favor of their own content and services, and to prevent competitors from having a chance to offer new and innovative services to consumers.

Fortin rightly applauds Sen. Snowe’s E-rate program, which is also a form of government regulation of the Internet. He should do the same for Sen. Snowe’s enlightened efforts to ensure that basic non-discrimination rules continue to apply to Internet transmission network operators so that all American businesses and consumers can continue to innovate and offer services over the Internet.

Fletcher Kittredge is a resident of Biddeford and is Chief Executive Officer of Great Works Internet (GWI), a Maine-based provider of Internet and telecommunications services.