On the side of the little guy? President Obama backs a free and open internet

President Obama called on the Federal Communications Commission to adopt tighter regulations on broadband services in order to ensure the continuation of "a free and open internet."

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The White House released a statement on November 10 where it asked the Commission to enforce the principle of Net neutrality.

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Net neutrality is treating broadband services like utilities, so that web service providers can't "restrict the best access or (pick) winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas."

This marks Obama's first step into a heated debate over the future of internet control, and whether or not broadband should be placed under Title II regulation under the Telecommunications Act, which already regulates phone services.

"This is a basic acknowledgment of the services ISPs provide to American homes and businesses, and the straightforward obligations necessary to ensure the network works for everyone -- not just one or two companies," Obama said.

The FCC was expected to make official guidelines before the end of 2014, but now they say that these have been delayed until early 2015.

Many support bringing internet services under the Title II umbrella regulations, which they say will ensure a free and fair flow of access across the net.

Detractors believe that doing this will only hurt investment of new services and the infrastructure of the web.

They believe that companies should be able to purchase faster and larger connections. Something that many fear would mean companies that can't pay would have their content slowed as to be unusable.

"Reclassification under Title II, which for the first time would apply 1930s-era utility regulation to the Internet, would be a radical reversal of course that would in and of itself threaten great harm to an open Internet, competition and innovation," Verizon said in an e-mailed statement.

Back in April, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler came under intense criticism after an early proposal for rules on internet access were published online. Wheeler had said he supports a free internet, but the rules would allow prioritization of internet traffic.

"I will say it again, there is nothing in the proposal that authorizes fast lanes on the Internet," he said earlier this year. "It simply asks questions, such as should there be a ban on paid prioritization. But there is nothing in the rule that authorizes it."

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