When we log onto the Internet, we take a lot of things for granted. We assume we will be able to access any Web site we want, whenever we want, and at the fastest possible speed, regardless of whether it's a corporate site or a mom-and-pop page. We assume that we can use any service we like, and at any time we choose. Net Neutrality makes all of this possible.

What is "Net Neutrality"?

Net Neutrality is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet.  It simply means no discrimination. Net Neutrality prevents Internet providers from blocking, speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination.  It is the reason the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation and free speech online. It protects the consumer's right to use any equipment, content, application or service without interference from the network provider. With Net Neutrality, the network's only job is to move data -- not to choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.

Who wants to get rid of Net Neutrality?

The nation's largest telephone and cable companies -- including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner Cable -- want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which websites go fast or slow and which won't load at all.  They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. And they want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services and streaming video -- while slowing down or blocking services offered by their competitors.

These companies have a new vision for the Internet. Instead of a level playing field, they want to reserve express lanes for their own content and services -- or those of big corporations that can afford the steep tolls -- and leave the rest of us on a winding dirt road.  The big phone and cable companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to gut Net Neutrality, putting the future of the Internet at risk.

Is Net Neutrality a new regulation?

Absolutely not. Net Neutrality has been part of the Internet since its inception. Pioneers like Vint Cerf and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, always intended the Internet to be a neutral network. And non-discrimination provisions like Net Neutrality have governed the nation's communications networks since the 1920s.  But as a consequence of a 2005 decision by the Federal Communications Commission, Net Neutrality was put in jeopardy.  Recently, however, under new leadership the FCC is now openly seeking public input to the Net Neutrality debate through its beta OpenInternet.gov website, and just last week issued a formal Notice of Proposed Rule-Making ( NPRM ) addressing this important topic. 

Isn't the threat to Net Neutrality just hypothetical?

No. By far the most significant evidence of the network owners' plans to discriminate is their stated intent to do so.  The CEOs of all the largest telecoms have been clear about their plans to build a "tiered Internet" with faster service for the select few companies willing or able to pay their exorbitant tolls. Net Neutrality advocates are not imagining a doomsday scenario: We are taking the telecom execs at their word.

So far, we've only seen the tip of the iceberg. But numerous examples show that without Net Neutrality requirements, Internet service providers will discriminate against content and competing services they don't like. This type of censorship will become the norm unless we act now. Given the chance, these gatekeepers will consistently put their own interests before the public good.

Isn't this just a battle between giant corporations?

No. Our opponents would like to paint this debate as a clash of corporate titans. But the real story is the millions of everyday people fighting for their Internet freedom:

Small business owners benefit from an Internet that allows them to compete directly -- not one where they can't afford the price of entry. Net Neutrality assures that innovators can start small and dream big about being the next eBay or Google without facing insurmountable hurdles. Without Net Neutrality, start-ups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay for a top spot on the Web.

If Congress turns the Internet over to the telecom giants, everyone who uses the Internet will be affected. Connecting to your office could take longer if you don't purchase your carrier's preferred applications. Sending family photos and videos could slow to a crawl. Web pages you always use for online banking, access to health care information, planning a trip, or communicating with friends and family could fall victim to pay-for-speed schemes.

Independent voices and political groups are especially vulnerable. Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips, silencing bloggers and amplifying the voices of the big media companies. Political organizing could be slowed by the handful of dominant Internet providers that ask advocacy groups or candidates to pay to join the "fast lane."

What's at stake if we lose Net Neutrality?

The consequences of a world without Net Neutrality would be devastating. Innovation would be stifled, competition limited, and access to information restricted. Consumer choice and the free market would be sacrificed to the interests of a few corporations.

On the Internet, consumers are in ultimate control -- deciding between content, applications and services available anywhere, no matter who owns the network. There's no middleman. But without Net Neutrality, the Internet will look more like cable TV. Network owners will decide which channels, content and applications are available; consumers will have to choose from their menu.  The free and open Internet brings with it the revolutionary possibility that any Internet site could have the reach of a TV or radio station. The loss of Net Neutrality would end this unparalleled opportunity for freedom of expression.

What's happening in Congress?

In August 2009, Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) introduced the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 ( H.R. 3458 ). This landmark legislation would protect Net Neutrality under the Communications Act, safeguarding the future of the open Internet and protecting Internet users from discrimination online. Urge your member of Congress to support this important piece of legislation today!

The SavetheInternet.com coalition applauds the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. This recent law, which allocates $7.2 billion to expand broadband access and adoption, attaches open Internet conditions to all broadband networks built with public funds. But these conditions only apply to the broadband lines built with federal stimulus money. We need to make Net Neutrality the law of the land to assure that all networks are open and free from discrimination. That's why the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 (H.R. 3458) is so important.

Who's part of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition?

The SavetheInternet.com Coalition is made up of hundreds of groups from across the political spectrum that are concerned about maintaining a free and open Internet. Click here for a list of coalition members.  No corporation or political party funds these efforts.  The coalition is  coordinated by Free Press, a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media.

Who else supports Net Neutrality?

The supporters of Net Neutrality include leading tech companies such as Amazon.com, eBay, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, Skype and Yahoo. Prominent national figures such as Internet pioneer Vint Cerf and Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig have called for stronger Net Neutrality protections.  And President Barack Obama himself pledged to "take a back seat to no one" in his commitment to Net Neutrality. And the administration's technology policies posted on the White House Web site list Net Neutrality as the top priority.

What can I do to help?

Sign the SavetheInternet.com petition and tell Congress to pass Net Neutrality legislation now!

Show your support for Internet freedom on your website.