US regulators have approved net neutrality rules banning broadband providers from charging to put online services in a so-called fast lane.
The new rule requires the companies to act in the “public interest” and not intentionally block or slow web traffic.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed the much-debated plan on Thursday.
The telecoms industry is expected to sue over the rule, which was opposed by conservatives and backed by President Barack Obama.
The five FCC members voted along party lines: the two Republican commissioners voted no and the three Democrats yes.
Before the vote, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said the plan would foster a free and open internet.
“The internet is the ultimate tool for free expression,” he said ahead of the vote.
“The internet is too important to allow broadband providers to be making the rules.”
The result means tougher rules for internet service providers such as Comcast, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, who lobbied against the regulation.
A coalition of 16,000 websites had endorsed net neutrality, including Tumblr, Mozilla and Yelp.
Consumer advocates say the rule will prevent “pay-to-play” deals that could stifle the growth of internet startups.
They also say it will prevent internet providers from restricting the use of high-bandwidth sites and services such as Netflix.
Without net neutrality, websites would be able to strike deals with service providers to stream their data more quickly.
But critics say the new rule will deprive broadband providers of new revenue, hampering investment and ultimately increasing consumer charges.
Republican FCC Commissioners called the plan “half-baked, illogical, internally inconsistent and indefensible”.
But a Democratic commissioner who voted in favour of the rule said: “We cannot have a two-tiered internet that speeds the traffic of the privileged and leaves the rest of us lagging behind.”
Last year, the issue of net neutrality went mainstream when Comcast was accused of secretly manipulating internet traffic to squeeze money out of Netflix.
The British comedian John Oliver is credited with making the policy debate go viral with a rant against internet fast lanes on his HBO show Last Week Tonight.
Net Neutrality Rules Approved By US Regulator
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Net Neutrality Rules Approved By US Regulator
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