From the beginning of internet time, those who love the net have tried to pretend that the laws of nature, economics and geography – not to mention human greed – simply do not apply to cyberspace.

But now this quaint utopian vision of a digital Arcadia is getting in the way of sensible debate over broadband regulation in America, and the future of internet innovation. For the past few weeks, broadband carriers (such as Verizon), big internet content companies (such as Google) and a host of concerned netizens have been shouting louder and louder to make sure the US Congress hears them before it decides if and how to impose new regulations on the internet.