Many of the companies that oppose Net Neutrality have ridiculed the government’s mandate for open Internet protections as part of the broadband stimulus program, even saying that the program would fail as a result of these protections. But despite the gripes and predictions, the program has become immensely popular.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), one of the agencies charged with distributing the stimulus money, recently announced that it received $11 billion worth of grant applications for $2.6 billion in available funds.

Clearly, Net Neutrality rules have not dissuaded hundreds of hopeful investors from applying. One of the companies echoing the doomsday predictions regarding Net Neutrality, while still handing in its application, is Qwest.

What was Qwest’s public rhetoric on attaching Net Neutrality requirements to these federal grants? They said it would “create chaos” and “regulatory balkanization.” Then they applied for a $350 million grant with the same Net Neutrality conditions.

Why does this matter? Qwest’s actions show their previous claims ring hollow. They went from decrying Net Neutrality conditions on grants to applying for those very same grants in just a matter of months.

The FCC would do well to remember Qwest’s about-face as the larger debate around Net Neutrality intensifies. It is standard operating procedure for the telecom industry to dig in their heels and claim the sky will fall if the government looks to act on behalf of consumers. But Qwest’s change of heart on grant conditions shows how quickly the telecom industry can flip. The hysterical arguments are dropped once it becomes clear that Net Neutrality is here to stay and is an acceptable part of doing business.