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The agency, still reeling from an April court decision that undercut its authority over broadband services, wants to get back on track with its ambitious plans to shape the future of this country's Internet use and access and has outlined a new legal path for regulating broadband providers.

"The FCC has an obligation to move forward with an open, constructive public comment process to ask hard questions, build a record, find a solution, and resolve the uncertainty that has been created," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

Broadband is now defined as an information service, which means it doesn't face much FCC oversight. Genachowski's plan would shift broadband into the same category as phone services, which would trigger closer supervision by the agency. The FCC said it would not subject Internet service providers to the full brunt of regulation that would come with the new classification, instead choosing a "third way" that would apply only some of the rules.

Opponents say the FCC is overstepping its bounds and should wait for Congress to clarify the agency's power. FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, who voted against the proceeding Thursday, said the rules for phone services aren't appropriate for "complex 21st-century" Internet service providers.

-- Jia Lynn Yang