I know a lot of people have heard the term Net Neutrality, but are still a bit in the dark regarding what it actually means. The best short answer to define Net Neutrality that I’ve seen comes from Save The Internet, one of the most forefront activist sites on the topic:

“Net Neutrality means that Internet service providers may not discriminate between different kinds of content and applications online. It guarantees a level playing field for all Web sites and Internet technologies.

Net Neutrality is the reason the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation and free speech online. It protects the consumer’s right to use any equipment, content, application or service without interference from the network provider. With Net Neutrality, the network’s only job is to move data — not to choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.”

I could rant endlessly, but the essential aim of the Net Neutrality movement is to prevent the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from severely limiting our access to the internet, and making a bundle in the process. Another quote from Save The Internet:

“The nation’s largest telephone and cable companies — including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner Cable — want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow and which won’t load at all.

They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. And they want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services and streaming video — while slowing down or blocking services offered by their competitors.”

For more general information on the benefits of Net Neutrality, check out the FAQ on Save The Internet.