Will you pay to use Google Search?

Telecom firms, losing revenue to the innovation of the Internet -- disruptive technologies, if you will -- is going into purely defensive mode (much like the RIAA and MPAA against file-sharing services) in order to protect age-old but stale business models. Instead of innovating to meet consumer needs, telecom lobbyists in Washington are most likely lining pockets to ensure established and anti-competitive telecom firms don't have to change. The customer? Who cares about newer customer technologies, as long as those bills keep getting paid. Eh!

Google's mantra so far has been about innovation and giving the customer what it wants, when it wants and as fast as possible from anywhere with a minimum of fuss. Wow -- what a concept here: Give customers what they want quickly, reliably and efficiently, and they'll come back in droves over and over again.

Hence, Google's business model built on advertising -- of all things -- has worked spectacularly. Big telecom is just not interested in this type of customer innovation, and these firms are just relying on protectionism to ensure the cash cow remains. It's a brave new world, though, and eventually this dated mentality will be bypassed. Net neutrality is just the first test.