Google, Amazon and other content providers have been pushing for net neutrality regulations that will prevent telecoms firms from favoring or discriminating against certain types of content.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to announce that it will seek to regulate broadband service providers under a more rigorous legal framework, according to the Financial Times.
The FCC is planning to re-establish its authority after a US federal appeals court found in April that the regulator had exceeded its authority in asking cable network provider Comcast to stop throttling BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing traffic.
The FCC is expected to announce that it will assume greater powers by classifying broadband providers as a telecommunications service.
But, while the FCC is likely to seek net neutrality regulations under the new classification, it is not expected to enforce rules on things like rates or unbundling.
The Open Internet Coalition said the move ensured that consumer choice and innovation on the broadband internet will receive the protections it requires.
The FCC is seeking to walk a line between moving forward with a bold broadband policy and averting a heavy regulatory hand that could spark legal action by broadband providers, said analysts.
But others said the move could result in a bitter fight between broadband providers and internet companies and create a period of uncertainty for the industry.
This article was first published by Computer Weekly