The election of Barack Obama symbolized a huge leap forward for racial equality in the United States.  That was the hope at least, though the Obama administration may also be remembered for its equality online.

On Monday, as expected, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski unveiled a net neutrality proposal that would force equal access for all sites – rich, poor, bandwidth hog or ISP competitor.  “The rise of serious challenges to the free and open internet puts us at a crossroads.  We could see the internet’s doors shut to entrepreneurs, the spirit of innovation stifled, a full and free flow of information compromised,” Genachowski told an audience at the Brookings Institution.  “Or we could take steps to preserve internet openness, helping ensure a future of opportunity, innovation, and a vibrant marketplace of ideas.”

Genachowski proposed that ISPs and access providers (including mobile operators) be forced to offer equal access to consumers, subject to certain bandwidth management constraints.  He also called for access providers to be transparent in their access approach.

The latest open-access agenda points are being welcomed by big-bandwidth players like YouTube.  But the proposal also flattens the playing field for music-related startups, including those deemed ‘unfriendly’ to big media companies and access providers.  Illegal sites are not being afforded equal access privileges, though ‘illegal’ can quickly shift to ‘legal’ in the current terrain – as evidenced by recent court cases.  The speech also unveiled a new site dedicated to the effort, openinternet.gov.