The End of the Free Internet as We Know It?

The Struggle for Net Freedom
(from Free Press, a nonpartisan organization working to involve the public in media policymaking and to craft policies for more democratic media)

A new fight is brewing over the future of communications in the United States. It pits the nation's largest cable and telephone companies against those who believe the Internet should support the free and independent flow of ideas.

Broadband is the battleground. As more Americans upgrade to high-speed Internet connections, the companies that control the "pipes" are plotting out new ways to profit from the demand. The telco and cable giants want to fence off the Internet: one area for the haves — who will pay a premium to enjoy life in the fast lane — and the other for the have-nots.

The innovation and creativity of the Internet are the result of its foundation as an open roadway. At serious risk is the idea of "network neutrality" — a guiding principle of the Internet that ensures all users can access the content or run the applications and devices of their choice. Corporate greed threatens to bring the Internet's promise of advanced communications for all to a screeching halt.

For more information see:
Dead End for the Internet
Consumers Want Congress to Protect Right to Access Information, Services on Internet
Bells Will Block Packets
Importance of the Internet Public Support for Net Neutrality