As the FCC gets set to vote on new net neutrality rules, Time Warner Cable News’ Adam Balkin explains what it all means in this Tech Talk report.

On Thursday, the FCC will vote on new net neutrality rules. The commission will vote to reclassify the internet under Title II of the Communications Act, meaning internet access would be seen as a basic right that all Americans are due, like electricity. And just like electricity that flows to everyone evenly and allows everything from toasters to refrigerators to operate as they should, in the case of the internet, all websites would work as they should - no blocking or slowing of any traffic for competitive purposes.

 “The idea is always treat all data the same, no prioritization of favored data from partners or friends over whatever else is coming through. The idea is to treat it more like water, like a utility. You know, some people get more water or faster, you can’t do that," says Lance Ulanoff of Mashable.com.

Now, there is a lot more to this and many confusing twists and turns. Should companies like Netflix, which use more of the internet pipe or need a bigger pipe, pay more for those things? If the government takes control, at least on the business side of things, will internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T, or our parent company Time Warner Cable see that as a reason not to sink more money into expanding or improving their infrastructure? Those are just a few of the questions to be considered on the way to keeping the internet running pretty much as it does today.

“Hopefully everyday consumer won’t notice any difference in the internet. We hope that’s the case because, for now, the internet is a relatively open access place. What they may see in the long term is that innovation will continue to happen from small companies that don’t have to pay extra to get access to consumers," says Consumer Reports’ Glenn Darene.

If the new net neutrality rules are passed, they will likely face lengthy legal battles before potentially going into effect.