Net neutrality advocates received a boost of support Wednesday from the Obama administration, when it is released to provide guidelines for the state $ 7.2 billion broadband stimulus package.

Companies victory grants to help build a new broadband infrastructure will follow the Federal Communications Commission in the Internet Policy Statement, which prohibits companies intentionally blocking or slowing Internet traffic on their networks.

Proponents of this concept, Net neutrality have been pressing the Government to enact laws and establish more stringent requirements to ensure that consumers have access to content they want, and that competitors do not run out of business network operators.

Telephone companies and cable operators are opposed to such legislation, but the mood seemed to be shared by the Republican FCC, controlled in accordance with the previous presidential administration. But now, when Democrats in the indictment, Net neutrality advocates have been to seek evidence of how the new FCC led recently sworn in chairman Julius Genachowski will address this issue.

It is too early whether the Democrats will press for new laws. But it is becoming increasingly clear that the protection of Internet access is an important issue for many.

Consumer and advocacy groups, such as is known, and a free press, welcomed the decision of Net neutrality condition the grant.

In the Obama Administration has issued guidelines Wednesday for the companies and other groups applying for the first three shipments of grants to be distributed in order to promote broadband as part of a package of economic incentives adopted by Congress earlier this year.

The first installment of funds of about U.S. $ 4 billion and represents more than half the 7.2 billion dollars that the government had allocated to finance investment in broadband infrastructure over the next two years. About $ 4.7 billion, that money will be doled out of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration grant for the establishment of broadband infrastructure in unserved or under-fields, and further development of national security, as well as to stimulate demand for broadband. The remaining $ 2.5 billion will be allocated to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide loans for the construction of broadband infrastructure services in rural areas.

Other important aspects of the rules that came out this week the Government to include the definition of broadband. The rules for determining the grant of broadband transmission speeds of at least 768Kbps down and 200Kbps at least up to end-users. These hardly seem like the speed of broadband to most consumers, cable is used to model services and other high-speed Internet services, such as in the Verizon Fios service.

But below the speed of the definition is to the company, the decision of rural markets, which may only be able to serve the slower DSL or wireless services can be obtained from grants. In order to help improve the speed of service, however, the government will give preference to companies planning to deliver high-speed services.

The Government also states that it means when it comes to the “insufficient” the region. Areas where less than 50 per cent of households have no access to broadband will be considered insufficient, and the right to receive subsidies.

More specific rules that will help companies to write grants to receive these funds will be released next week.