Today in Congress, the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet held a hearing on HR 5353, the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act". This is the bill that would make Net Neutrality the law in America.

Network Neutrality -- or "Net Neutrality" for short -- is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet.

Put simply, Net Neutrality means no discrimination. Net Neutrality prevents Internet providers from speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination.

Net Neutrality is the reason why 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 on a non-discriminatory basis without interference from the network provider. With Net Neutrality, the network's only job is to move data -- not choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.

Today is the final day that the FCC will be accepting comments from the public on the issue of net neutrality. It's critical that we protect the freedom and openness that have been the hallmark of the Internet.

Please send a message to the FCC today. If you use the Internet to shop, to work, to blog, to operate your small business, to keep in touch with your friends and family, to find information -- tell the FCC that you want this free and diverse medium to remain in the hands of the people, not controlled by big telecom corporations.

Don't miss this chance. Stand up for net neutrality today. Thanks.