(Via Phyrra via LiveScience) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday said Internet service providers should be allowed to charge a fee for priority Web traffic.

The agency told the Federal Communications Commission, which is reviewing high-speed Internet practices, that it is opposed to “Net neutrality,” the principle that all Internet sites should be equally accessible to any Web user.

Several phone and cable companies, such as AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp., have previously said they want the option to charge some users more money for loading certain content or Web sites faster than others.

The Justice Department said imposing a Net neutrality regulation could hamper development of the Internet and prevent service providers from upgrading or expanding their networks. It could also shift the “entire burden of implementing costly network expansions and improvements onto consumers,” the agency said in its filing.

Such a result could diminish or delay network expansion and improvement, it added.

The agency said providing different levels of service is common, efficient and could satisfy consumers. As an example, it cited that the U.S. Postal Service charges customers different guarantees and speeds for package delivery, ranging from bulk mail to overnight delivery.

“Whether or not the same type of differentiated products and services will develop on the Internet should be determined by market forces, not regulatory intervention,” the agency said in its filing.

The agency’s stance comes more than two months after Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras cautioned policy makers to enact Net neutrality regulation.

Such a regulation could prevent rather than promote Internet investment and innovation and have “significant negative effects for the economy and consumers,” the Justice Department said in the filing.

Supporters of Internet regulation have said that phone and cable companies could discriminate against certain Web site and services.

However, the agency said it will continue to monitor and enforce any anticompetitive conduct to ensure a competitive broadband marketplace.

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Oh good. The agency that thinks that by letting people determine how your traffic works they can ENHANCE creativity will also police to make sure things are “fair”. Yeah that fills me with the same kind of warm fuzzy feelings as swallowing razor blades.

The Justice Department said imposing a Net neutrality regulation could hamper development of the Internet and prevent service providers from upgrading or expanding their networks. It could also shift the “entire burden of implementing costly network expansions and improvements onto consumers,” the agency said in its filing.

Wait, what? So we would have to pay for the pipe. Instead of paying for the pipe and having sites charged for the pipe and then having to pay the people who were ALSO charged for the pipe to let them make their money back. HOW THE FUCK IS THAT BETTER?

Think about it. Instead of paying for your internet connection you would now pay for your internet connection and then pay more for other services on the web to subsidize a company paying for faster priority service. You get to pay extra. The alternative? Paying what you pay.

Wow! Good thing they’ve made that choice us. I feel so much better.

Nevermind that everyone already pays for bandwidth used! It isn’t like they aren’t paying for services now!

The Justice Department said imposing a Net neutrality regulation could hamper development of the Internet

Yeah! Freedom of choice will harm the ability to choose! Damn it why can’t you understand that? The Justice Dept hits you because they love you.