The planned legislation follows a long battle between the Federal Communications Commission and cable-TV and Internet service provider Comcast. It would have the Internet Freedom Preservation Act bar cable and telephone companies from being Internet "gatekeepers" and keep the Internet open and free, according to Dorgan, who has introduced previous bills on net neutrality.

"He was the lead sponsor of net-neutrality bills for this session of Congress, which is about to end, and he will be introducing a bill in the next session of Congress," said Justin Kitsche, a spokesperson for Dorgan's office.

"We don't believe legislation is necessary in this area and could harm innovation and investments," said Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast's senior director of government affairs and corporate communications , in a phone interview. "We have consistently said that all our customers have access to content available on the Internet."

Superhighway or Gravel Road

Dorgan has been outspoken on the issue, saying ISPs such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon Communications are trying to block or manage what has always been a free Internet.

"What is happening in our country today is we have big interest, increasingly big interest, from cable and telephone companies and others who want to be gatekeepers and want to have toll charges on the Internet," Dorgan said in a video message on his Web site. "Some have said they would like to say to content providers: If you want to go on a superhighway, you'll have to pass extra money. If not, you'll have to pass on a gravel road somewhere on the Internet, to use a metaphor."

Doing so would be dangerous and would prohibit innovation and would squash smaller businesses, according to the senator.

Previous bills have failed, but proponents of an open Internet are backing Dorgan's efforts once again. "We have supported Senator Dorgan's efforts to protect an open Internet and welcome this new bill," said Markham Erickson, executive director of the Open Internet Coalition, in an e-mail to us. "It is critical to provide certainty to innovators and consumers that openness on the Net is here to stay." (continued...)

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