NEW YORK (

TheStreet

) -- The Federal Communications Commission has passed net neutrality rules today that will prohibit broadband providers from blocking consumers from lawful Web sites or Internet traffic.

Through the new order, Internet service providers will be required to treat all information traveling over broadband networks equally in efforts to ensure net neutrality. Wireless providers will be prohibited from unjustly discriminating in transmitting lawful traffic over a consumer's wireline broadband Internet service.

The rules will require the FCC to handle enforcement on a case-by-case basis as well as 'transparency' from wired broadband providers in disclosing information such as price, performance and network management in efforts to preserve the openness of the Internet.

Most importantly for broadcast companies, the rules will prohibit the FCC from reclassifying broadband under Title II of the Communications Act. Broadband is currently considered a Title I, or information service.

The rules will prevent network operators from discriminatory pricing against Internet traffic that might offer competitive services. Internet carriers such as

Comcast

(CMCSA) - Get Report

and

Verizon

(VZ) - Get Report

will not be able to block consumers from using

Netflix

(NFLX) - Get Report

, and wireless carriers such as

AT&T

(T) - Get Report

will not be able to block

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

Talk on smartphones.

Despite strong opposition from the two Republicans on the five-member commission, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski and his two fellow Democrats on the board passed the rules with a 3-2 vote.

Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps said he could not wholeheartedly approve the order, but he would not block it.

At the meeting he noted that the proposed rules left out a few aspects that he had would have liked to see implemented, but he said "without some action today, the wheels of net neutrality would grind to a screeching halt for at least the next two years."

Republican commissioner Robert McDowell argued the proposal, citing the common theory that one shouldn't try to fix something that isn't broken. He believes that current deregulatory policy would allow the Internet to continue to "blossom."

In a

Dec. 1 statement

, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said the rules are necessary to ensure the Internet's "freedom and openness."

"Universal high-speed Internet access is a vital national goal that will require very substantial private sector investment in our 21st century digital infrastructure," Genachowski said. "For our global competitiveness, and to harness the opportunities of broadband for all Americans, we want world-leading broadband networks in the United States that are both the freest and the fastest in the world"

Genachowski supported the new rules at the meeting and said he believes the open Internet ruling is essential to businesses and consumers.

In their statements, Commissioners McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker both noted that they did not get a final copy of the rules until 11:30 P.M. the evening before the open meeting was scheduled to occur. Both Republicans said that they were unhappy with the process of the order. Baker said that it was uncharacteristic of Genachowski to allow such a substandard proceeding of the rules.

The FCC also unanimously voted to pass the Next Generation 9-1-1 initiative. This project is aimed at updating the 9-1-1 service in the U.S. to enable the public to transmit text, images, video and data to 9-1-1 centers.

-- Written by Theresa McCabe in Boston.

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.Three main goals of the open Internet rules

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