Supporters of an open Internet received a bit of good news today, when new Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski proposed some new rules to keep the Internet free and open.

Genachowski made the proposal during a speech at the Brookings Institution, where he described the FCC’s current position being governed by four principals:

These principles can be summarized as: Network operators cannot prevent users from accessing the lawful Internet content, applications, and services of their choice, nor can they prohibit users from attaching non-harmful devices to the network.

He is proposing two new rules that would further secure the Internet’s role in our society as a free and open platform to encourage innovation and investment.

Rule no. 5 would be a principal of non-discrimination guaranteeing equal treatment for everyone by all broadband providers.

This means they cannot block or degrade lawful traffic over their networks, or pick winners by favoring some content or applications over others in the connection to subscribers’ homes. Nor can they disfavor an Internet service just because it competes with a similar service offered by that broadband provider. The Internet must continue to allow users to decide what content and applications succeed.

Rule no. 6 would be a principal of transparency, requiring broadband providers to be open about their network management efforts.

Why does the FCC need to adopt this principle? The Internet evolved through open standards. It was conceived as a tool whose user manual would be free and available to all. But new network management practices and technologies challenge this original understanding. Today, broadband providers have the technical ability to change how the Internet works for millions of users — with profound consequences for those users and content, application, and service providers around the world.

The FCC also announced the creation of a new web site, www.openinternet.gov, to keep track of developments in this arena.