Sens. Byran Dorgan, D-North Dakota, and Olympia Snow, R-Maine, are asking that a congressional hearing be launched to look into reports that phone and cable companies are unfairly limiting access online and on cell phones.

News broke last week that Comcast was slowing access to file sharing sites called torrents.

Verizon Wireless also denied a request by abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America "to use its mobile network for a sign-up text message program," according to AP News.

Verizon later reversed its decision next day, calling it a mistake and an "isolated incident."

Questions abound regarding where a broadband or mobile access carrier's "responsibility" to its customers begins and ends.

The issue may come down to whether broadband and mobile are indeed (privileged) services, or (necessary) utilities — a dilemma that cell phone carriers have faced before.