U.S. President Barack Obama has made his strongest statement on net neutrality to date, calling on the Federal Communications Commission to reclassify broadband as a regulated utility, and to prohibit broadband providers from charging Web content producers for paid traffic prioritization.

Obama on Monday called on the FCC to reclassify broadband as a common carrier, subject to telephone-style regulations, and to ban broadband carriers from selectively blocking or throttling Web traffic. The president waded into a contentious debate about reclassifying broadband, coming down on the opposite side of many large broadband carriers.

Reclassifying broadband would “keep the Internet free and open,” Obama said in a video message. “In plain English, “I’m asking [the FCC] to recognize that, for most Americans, the Internet has become an essential part of everyday communication and everyday life.”

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