The US Justice department feels the rich and the poor should be separated in its plans to allow fat cat media companies to take more bandwidth from normal users to use for their own digital delivery systems.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6983375.stmThe agency said it was opposed to "network neutrality", the idea that all data on the net is treated equally.
Their comments put the agency at odds with companies such as Microsoft and Google, who have called for legislation to guarantee equal access to the net.
The agency submitted its comments to the Federal Communications Commission, which is investigating net access.
It's stance is contrary to much of the internet community that believes in an open model for the internet.
Net neutrality advocates argue that a two-tier internet would allow broadband providers to become gatekeepers to the web's content.
Providers that can pay will be able to get a commercial advantage over those that cannot, they say.
In particular, there is a fear that institutions like universities and charities would suffer.
Last year, Sir Tim Berners-Lee the inventor of the web rallied against the idea of a two-tier internet.
Why does anyone want a net of two different levels, its more likely this is the beginning of a US policy to recognise the reality of the digital delivery system and ensure its own economic future as it does get substantial revenue from the media industry and spin offs, tax payers of course are merely taken for granted and afforded no special privileges such as a decent internet service.
We have already seen that due to a growing increase in usage of the internet more capacity is urgently required and trying to pretend otherwise or scare the consumer away from wanting that upgrade with talks of massive price hikes is just misleading and wrong.
