【Brigitte Meyer】

The Brigitte Meyergovernment didn't completely kill net neutrality, as long as companies that offer our internet access enforce its principles.

Some probably won't. Comcast, America's most-hated company, has hinted at creating "fast lanes" where internet companies would have to pay for better access to the network. (After this article was posted, a Comcast spokesperson described those reports as mischaracterization — see full statement below.)

But other internet service providers (ISPs) were founded, at least in part, on the principle of offering a fairer system. And after Thursday's ruling, that promise remains.

"Net Neutrality lives on," reads an email from Sonic on Thursday. No, it's not from the hedgehog or the drive-in. Sonic is an internet service and phone provider available in more than 125 cities in California, and it was sharing with its about 100,000 customers that it "will remain committed to the principles of net neutrality."

The companies

Sonic is one of several startups guaranteeing its service won't be affected by the government's ruling to allow ISPs to charge certain companies or services for better access to its customers. ISPs Sonic, Starry, Rocket Fiber, Pilot, Ting, and Karma told Mashable they will not impede access.

"Starry supports a free and open Internet. A free and open internet has been the single biggest driver of innovation over the last generation and we want that engine of innovation to continue, unimpeded," a Starry spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Rocket Fiber operates in Detroit and has 3,000 clients.

"Since our inception, and regardless of the Title 2 repeal, unlike the competition, Rocket Fiber does not partake in paid prioritization or other non-neutral service delivery. Thank you for the support," a Rocket Fiber spokesperson wrote to Mashable.

Pilot services businesses, not customers, and told Mashable they will stay committed to net neutrality.

"Pilot supports net neutrality and believes in delivering the best possible experience, which means customers should have access to content as quickly as possible at all times," a spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement.

Ting, launched by Canadian company Tucows, told Mashable its stance on net neutrality remains unchanged as it grows its presence in the U.S.

"We will never block, throttle, or otherwise interfere with the online activity of our customers," a company spokesperson wrote in an email.

Karma offers portable Wi-Fi with a guarantee of net neutrality.

"Karma never prioritizes, caps usage, throttles data, or sells usage information on any of our plans," a spokesperson told Mashable.

Other well-funded tech companies, like Google and Facebook, have created ISPs. Though, Google's efforts have been scaled back recently.

Google appears to be committed to the principles regardless of how fast its rolling out Fiber to new cities.

"We remain committed to the net neutrality policies that enjoy overwhelming public support, have been approved by the courts, and are working well for every part of the internet economy. We will work with other net neutrality supporters large and small to promote strong, enforceable protections," a Google spokesperson told Mashable in an email.

It's unclear where Facebook stands on how it will treat the principle of net neutrality going forward. Facebook didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. However, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg criticized the FCC's ruling in a Facebook post.

But when it comes to the company overall, Facebook has made decisions that violate net neutrality's principles. Facebook's Free Basics service, which provided internet to users through a Facebook portal, failed in India after many said it violated the principles of net neutrality.

Why commit

Each company operates independently and selects whether to support the principles of net neutrality. For Sonic, it's the company's core mission promoted by the CEO and cofounder Dane Jasper and the team he built.

"Sonic believes that net neutrality is similar to free speech. It is a fundamental right of Americans to be able to use an internet service that is open and free," Sonic's Chief Marketing Officer Tara Sharp told Mashablein a phone call after the FCC's ruling.

Businesses have a clear interest in tossing net neutrality. With the rules gone, they're free to experiment with models that charge different customers for different levels of access. But companies like Sonic hope that, by not participating in such experiments, they'll provide more of a convincing case to lure more customers.

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"My seven-year-old said it best to me last night 'When you're the good guys, people want to do business with you,'" Sharp said.

On the day the FCC repealed net neutrality, Sonic's sign-ups via phone and on the web rose by 50 percent from an average Thursday. The company was promoting itself on social media that day.

Hurdles ahead

While maintaining net neutrality may make ISPs friendlier to consumers compared to companies like Comcast, it doesn't directly help them with all the other hurdles they must face as they compete with the much larger services. These ISPs struggle with the high capital costs that are involved with deploying the physical infrastructure.

"Building our own fiber infrastructure is extraordinarily expensive so we're building out in locations where we know we already have customers and therefore loyalty and brand equity and also where the local governments are very supportive of us," Sharp said.

Going forward, lawsuits are expected to hit the FCC. For these companies already guaranteeing net neutrality, they can continue fighting the giants like Comcast and AT&T and deploy their services in more cities.

In cities where these ISPs operate, customers can vote for net neutrality with their pocketbooks. Others will have to wait and see.

UPDATE: Dec. 15, 2017, 5:35 p.m. EST A Comcast spokesperson provided a statement after this story was published:

"We’ve said consistently we’ve not entered into paid prioritization agreements and have no plans to do so. No matter what the skeptics say, you can’t accurately convert an unequivocal statement that Comcast has no plans to enter into any paid prioritization arrangement into plans for paid prioritization," a spokesperson wrote in an email.