Sam Gustin for Wired.com:
The three new rules, which will go into effect early next year, force ISPs to be transparent about how they handle network congestion, prohibit them from blocking traffic such as Skype on wired networks, and outlaw “unreasonable” discrimination on those networks, meaning they can’t put an online video service in the slow lane to benefit their own video services.
This is very important. It is a small step — nowhere near where we need to be — but it is a step in the right direction. One thing that irks me is when dissenters of Net Neutrality say that the measures will ‘stifle investment’ — that is just crap. If you need more money then you should charge more money. I pay like $40/mo and would happily pay twice that for faster and more reliable service. They don’t offer these plans because they can’t — stop whining already.
[Updated: 12/21/10 at 12:38 PM] There are a few who will say this does not go far enough — I agree. It does set the wheels in motion and is certainly better than nothing.