Senators who have vocalized their opposition to net neutrality are taking in, on average, 40 percent more campaign cash from the broadband-delivery industry than those who support it, according to an analysis of campaign data.

The data (XLSX)—a Maplight analysis of campaign contributions prepared for Ars Technica—highlights the disparity between what the monied Washington interests want compared to the public's desires. Most of the 800,000 initial public comments to the Federal Communications Commission backed the FCC adopting net neutrality rules . The commission is weighing whether to enact regulations that, among other things, could prevent broadband providers from charging for Internet fast lanes . The public commenting period ended Monday.

What the commission will do is anybody's guess, but the political money so far is lining up against net neutrality. No vote date has been set.

Adding to the net neutrality intrigue is that it's unclear which, if any, political party will take control in January. Not a single Senate Republican has gone on public record in support of net neutrality.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader from Kentucky, and five other top-ranking Republicans told FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in a letter that adopting net neutrality is "dangerous," "ill-advised," and "unauthorized."

"Rather than attempting further legal contortions to encumber modern communications networks with last century's rules, the Commission should work with the Congress to develop clear statutory authority and direction for the agency so that it can be a productive regulator for the 21st century marketplace," the May 13 letter said.

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he'd back the FCC adopting net neutrality. "Let me assure you that I will lead the fight to protect any Open Internet rules promulgated by the FCC against the inevitable Republican attack against such rules," Reid said in response to letters from Demand Progress, MoveOn, and others.

Wheeler is considered the swing vote on the five-member board.

Daniel G. Newman, the president of Maplight, the Berkeley, California-based nonprofit that tracks campaign financing, boiled down the issue to one about "who the government will listen to. The hundreds of thousands of citizens who expressed their support for net neutrality and the many millions who will be affected by this government decision, or a handful of corporations who have invested vast amounts of money in politicians?"

Net neutrality lawyer Marvin Ammori remembers when in 2011 Republicans tried, unsuccessfully, to reverse FCC net neutrality rules the agency adopted in 2010. A federal appeals court invalidated the rules because of a technicality in January. The commission is now considering adopting net neutrality in a way that might comport with the court's ruling.

To Ammori, the campaign data is an example of the dichotomy between the "power of the organized people and organized money."

"Politicians have to collect money all the time. The price you pay for siding with the carriers is lower than the price you pay for disagreeing with them," he said.

The data Maplight crunched concerns campaign contributions that OpenSecrets.org classified into the "cable & satellite TV production & distribution" category and the "telephone utilities" category. Industry in both sectors generally opposes net neutrality. The figures range from 2008 through 2013.

Of the nine senators—all Republicans—opposing net neutrality as of Tuesday, they averaged $140,255 in contributions from both categories, the data shows. Of the 15 senators who favor net neutrality, they averaged nearly $100,000 in contributions. Thirteen of the senators are Democrats and the two others are independent.

AT&T gets the top bill in the telephone category, having given $811,000 during the period. Comcast, whose position on net neutrality is outlined here, was the top giver in the other category, with $786,500.

Here are the lawmakers' public statements (XLSX) on net neutrality.