Greed shouldn't slow Internet innovation

Imagine going on the Internet one day and finding that it's taking a quite a bit longer than usual to download a clip from Jon Stewart's show.

But downloading the latest episode of "Ugly Betty" happens faster than ever.

That could be an everyday reality, rather than a fluke, depending on who wins a battle in Washington over the future of the Internet.

Amid all the talk about health care, Afghanistan elections and how the Obamas' marriage is going, you may have missed the battle about net neutrality.

The phrase itself, net neutrality, is about as sexy as Alan Greenspan in fishnets.

But wait until you learn what it could mean to your Internet access.

The telecommunications companies that own Internet service providers are looking for a way to make another buck, but consumers would pay the price in poorer service.

Essentially, the Internet service providers, known as ISPs, would offer a fast lane and slow lane on the Internet to people and businesses who want access to you. And that access would come at a price.

The ISPs could charge a premium to companies that wanted their sites downloaded quickly.

Those that wouldn't pay -- or couldn't afford to -- would proceed at a slower pace along the information highway.

Your Internet, in short, could become a lot more like your cable television service, with the big corporations deciding what you get and what you don't.

Unlike cable television, though, the Internet has been a huge growth engine for our economy and for innovation, which would be slowed dramatically under a two-tier system.

Net neutrality rules, which we favor, would make ISPs treat all Web traffic equally.

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to begin finalizing draft rules on net neutrality and is headed in the right direction to fulfill an Obama administration campaign promise.

In response, Sen. John McCain has introduced the "Internet Freedom Act," which would block the FCC from enacting the regulations.

Under the guise of combating a "government takeover of the Internet," McCain seeks a huge payday for Internet service providers.

To be clear, we're not talking about ISPs not being able to manage their networks for maintenance. We're not talking about stopping them from charging consumers for different speeds of service.

We're talking about treating all legal traffic on the Internet equally, as it has been since the Internet's inception, and as it must continue to be, if the Internet is to continue to be a growth engine for America.