With Thursday being the deadline for the first round of comments in the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s notice of inquiry (NOI), pertaining to the reclassification of broadband, comments filed by over 25,000 people and organizations indicate that an overwhelming majority is apparently in favor of the move.

The broadband reclassification move, proposed by the FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, essentially aims at re-categorizing broadband from a chiefly unregulated information service to a regulated common-carrier service.

According to Genachowski, the move is necessary because the ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in the Comcast case, questioned the agency’s clout in creating ‘net neutrality’ rules – which prohibit broadband providers from discriminatory blocking of particular Internet content - under its national broadband plan.

The comments filed under the NOI largely reflect the public’s corroboration of the broadband reclassification measure – with Public Knowledge having reported that it got over 6,000 people to sign its petition and send comments.

However, the Free Press’ campaign appeared to be even more successful, with the Free Press letters clearly saying: “I rely on the Internet as a public platform for free speech, equal opportunity, economic growth and innovation. Without vital Net Neutrality protections, companies like Verizon and Comcast, which have a commercial incentive to limit the free-flowing Web, can decide whether I will have a voice online. These companies should not have the power to determine my fate on the Internet.”