Net neutrality is a principle that proposes that Internet access speed and content should be available to everyone who wants it. Internet providers (cable and DSL companies) are asking that they be allowed to provide faster service and content push to companies who would pay an additional fee; net neutrality supporters believe they should not be allowed to build such a fee structure.PBS: Net Neutrality

On January 15, 2009, an aide to top Democrat Patrick Leahy said that net neutrality legislation is on the agenda.CNET: Democrats' plan: Net neutrality, copyright rewrite (January 14, 2009)

The principle of net neutrality assures that access to all Internet content is available to everyone, at the same rate. As usage of the Internet has grown, cable and DSL providers would like to build in a fee scale based on how fast and robustly data flows to users. It would work like this. Say there are two companies that provide videos. One company is an expensive advertising firm that regularly produces high quality videos, the other is a small independent firm who produces satirical videos occasionally. The providers would like to charge the large company a fee so that the end user will find it easier to access the big company. The little independent would not have that access; the end user would be able to download and play the big company's videos just fine, but if the little company's videos would download slowly, or maybe not at all. The fastest broadband access would be limited to these fee-payers who will be able to transmit their content to the rest of the world; everyone else would not have access to that speed and breadth.

The companies say they need the fee structure to pay for the upgrades in hardware and software to reach Internet improvements. "Net neutrality" supporters argue that everyone should have equal access to transmitting data and files. The societal issue, supporters argue, is that people with faster access will have unequal access to disseminate content on the Internet, thus providing a disadvantage to small content producers, and hindering free speech. The cable companies state that this threat is inflated and that regulation is not necessary, but that the additional income derived from a fee schedule is necessary for them to stay in business.

If net neutrality is a governmental choice, chances are the FCC will have to regulate the Internet providers. The issue has been defeated in Congress twice, but Barack Obama's administration has signaled that they want to return to the issue.PBS: Net Neutrality