Net Neutrality From Muskets to Megabits

[Commentary] On Feb. 26, the Federal Communications Commission will do something that few have ever accused the government of doing. It will recognize reality and act appropriately. That, in a nutshell, is the debate over network neutrality. Just as plain telephone service connected people and was regulated, now it's data services. Calls or video are all just megabits. Telephone companies couldn't discriminate in their traffic then, neither should they or cable companies be able to play favorites or manipulate customers now. That basic, regulated fairness is what allowed the Internet to develop, a point some current opponents seem to miss, whether blinded by ideology or money.

If you listen to the anguished cri de coeur from the loyal defenders of the big telecom companies, you would think the FCC's action was a government coup d'interconnecter -- a takeover of the Internet. Net neutrality is nothing more than re-establishing timeless, basic principles of fairness backed by some commonsense rules. The loudly voice objections, backed by big money and/or ideology, can't cover up that simple truth.

[Art Brodsky is a veteran journalist and advocate in Internet and telecommunications issues.]