The FCC finally moved the network neutrality debate forward Thursday, voting to begin developing open Internet regulations. The topic has become quite interesting over the past week, as strong-willed proponents and opponents of net neutrality turn up campaigns to influence law makers prior to voting on any net neutrality principles that may become law.

The debate is actually quite simple - should the government regulate, or not regulate the Internet? That discussion revolves around the six principles of network neutrality proposed by the FCC:

Under the draft proposed rules, subject to reasonable network management, a provider of broadband Internet access service:

"We cannot know what tomorrow holds on the Internet, except that it will be unexpected."

The new FCC Chairman, Juliius Genachowski, addressed a group of journalists and industry experts at the Brookings Institution on Sep 21^st, focusing his discussion on reigniting the topic of network neutrality and "Preserving a Free and Open Internet." 

Quoting early innovators and leaders of the Internet, including Tim Berners-Lee, Genachowski reinforced the idea the Internet is intended as a "Blank Canvas, allowing anyone to contribute and innovate without permission."  An exciting idea, and an exciting confirmation the US Government sees the Internet as infrastructure.  While carriers such as Verizon and AT&T should be able to add value to their customers, the basic premise of Internet access is one of an onramp to the rest of the Internet-enabled world.

This is part 1 in a series on Internet peering and network neutrality

In an Internet "shot heard round the world," AT&T's former chairman Ed Whitacre stated in reference to Google and Microsoft's Internet content:

"How do you think they're going to get to customers? Through a broadband pipe. Cable companies have them. We have them. Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain't going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there's going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they're using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?" (Ed Whitacre, Former Chairman of AT&T)