In spite of the apparent objections from several US lawmakers and broadband providers, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) will Thursday go ahead with the voting on whether it should seek public comments on the proposed reclassification of broadband as a regulated common-carrier service.

During the course of its Thursday morning meeting, the FCC will likely vote on a notice of inquiry (NOI) pertaining to legal agenda for the implementation of the net neutrality regulation and other aspects of the agency's national broadband plan.

Technically speaking, the FCC seeks public comment in NOIs, which generally affect FCC rulemaking proceedings.

The move to seek public comment will help the FCC determine in manner in which broadband should be regulated in the country. In case broadband gets classified as a common carrier, all Internet traffic will essentially come at par - thereby prohibiting service providers from prioritizing their own content vis-a-vis the rivals.

Noting that a number of consumer and digital rights groups support the FCC chairman Julius Genachowski's proposal to reclassify broadband, Aparna Sridhar, policy counsel for Free Press media reform group, said that new legal authority will lend increased clarity to the national broadband plan.

Sridhar said that Thursday's "FCC action begins a process of open discussion about how to achieve our nation's broadband goals in a legally sustainable way."