FCC looks for input on net neutrality

But the commission faces resistance from phone and cable companies, which insist they need flexibility to manage network traffic to prevent high-bandwidth applications from hogging capacity.

Phone and cable companies also fear that strict net neutrality rules would prevent them from charging a premium for specialized services that travel over dedicated networks, often called “managed services.’’ That category includes video services such as AT&T Inc.’s U-Verse and could expand to include online gaming, remote medical monitoring, and power grid controls. Broadband providers warn that rules that prohibit them from offering premium services could discourage them from continuing to invest in their lines.

The FCC’s latest move comes after Verizon Communications Inc. and Google Inc. offered their own policy proposal on net neutrality. Their plan would prohibit phone and cable companies from slowing down, blocking, or charging to prioritize Internet traffic traveling over their regular broadband lines.

But it would allow broadband providers to charge extra for services like U-Verse that are separate from the public Internet. The plan also would exempt wireless services from net neutrality rules.

The FCC’s decision to seek public comment on both issues disappointed some public interest groups that have been calling on the agency to move ahead quickly with strong net neutrality regulations.