Netroots groups flood White House, FCC with calls to reclassify broadband

Members of grass-roots Internet groups MoveOn and Free Press have flooded the White House and Federal Communications Commission with calls urging the FCC to assert authority over Internet access providers so that it can carry out a network neutrality rule.

The "netroots" groups say that without reclassifying broadband, the FCC can't carry out its planned rule to force carriers to treat applications equally on their networks. That policy proposal by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski was set back by a court decision last month that showed weakness in the agency's ability to regulate the companies that provide access to the Web such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T. The grass-roots efforts come amid a stark quiet from companies that have been supportive of net neutrality rules. Companies on both sides of the debate say they are waiting for a final decision by the agency before commenting publicly.