The Battle for the Soul of the Internet

The Future of our Internet cable, telephone companies and wireless providers Versus Internet content and application providers

What is "network neutrality"? “Network neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service provider.”

Brand X is nothing less than a battle for the soul of the Internet--and for the public's First Amendment rights in the broadband era. While the cable industry desperately trying to transform the Internet into an extension of a tightly and costly controlled cable business, it is critical that we maintain an open, nondiscriminatory platform for the exchange of ideas and information. The Internet must not become the preserve of anyone media or telecom industry property. Rather, it should reflect the highest aspirations of the American democracy: A free flow of information, unimpeded access to all manner of content, and dissemination of the broadest diversity of viewpoints. we must fight any fundamental shift in the way that the Internet works to keep our freedom in the virtual world.

FCC Cable TV Telephone Industries

How to keep the Internet Free and Open Throughout its history, open access has been the foundation of the Internet. That basic principle has allowed more than 7,000 Internet service providers (ISPs) to offer access, including companies that are community-based, nonprofit, and minority owned. As a result, there has not been a single "gatekeeper" to the Internet.

Why is this important now? What does that mean "Internet applications"? Is this a real threat to future of the Internet? Are there legitimate reasons why an Internet provider would block content or an Internet application? To what extend you might be affected? Just think about it…