Should your access to what's on the Internet — from your favorite blogger to Google — be limited, controlled, restricted or blocked?

Most people would say no. And they'd be right. The Federal Communications Commission, in a step to preserve the freedom of Internet access people are accustomed to, is proposing new rules for network neutrality — a concept that would prohibit Internet service providers from favoring certain services, content or technologies over others.

Critics of net neutrality fear, with some justification, that excessive rulemaking could stifle as-yet-unknown technological innovations. It's true that the rules must walk a fine line — preserving the open access while giving providers the necessary ability to manage and grow their networks efficiently.

Nonetheless, the FCC is right to work to protect net neutrality. The Internet's success, after all, comes from its openness: The platform-neutral, open architecture of the Internet allows anyone with a basic grasp of its protocols to reach an audience online. The result: A vast outpouring of creative and innovative content, from kids in their garage to multinational corporations, all equally accessible with a few taps on a keyboard.

Preserving an open Internet is also a matter of national interest. The Web has become an integral part of our nation's economy, culture and government, locally and nationally.

Predictably, the big telecommunications companies who provide Internet access have voiced strenuous objections. They want to exercise as much control over the networks as possible, especially in the booming area of wireless networks.

They want to be able to create a two-tiered Internet, one that can offer faster speeds and better service for their own content and for those who can pay — leaving those who can't in a digital wilderness, difficult to reach.

Providers have already attempted to do this. Apple was criticized for rejecting Google Voice, an iPhone application, because it would permit users to make calls without using Apple partner AT&T. Comcast attempted to block its users from using BitTorrent, a popular file-sharing software. Verizon Wireless was forced to reverse a decision blocking Naral Pro-Choice America from sending text messages over its network.

The FCC needs to ensure that control over this vital network — in all its forms — isn't ceded to the highest bidder. The Internet belongs to all of us.