Earlier quoted context omitted.
Those two things aren't related. This was during a Republican FCC adminstration and Ajit Pai would've repealed net neutrality even if every comment was for it. He doesn't care what public comments say nor does he need to. That not mattering was then canceled out by another not mattering, because California passed the same rules so they effectively apply to everyone anyway.
It's also about public sentiment towards the companies and their interests. Comcast, for example, as a long history of trying to silence its critics[1][2]. They want to make their critics look like a minority or as if they don't exist at all, especially when much of the criticism is grassroots and organic from actual telecom customers who are often stuck with a monopoly's service. [1] https://www.salon.com/2008/06/09…
Comcast has been losing lately as more places have been repealing their municipal internet utility bans IIRC.