The United States Senate Judiciary Committee called the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday to conduct hearings on the net neutrality policy being proposed outside Washington, D.C.

Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (D-VT) told FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to tour the country, consult with American citizens and ask them about their thoughts on net neutrality.

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Leahy, in a statement to Wheeler, said those who wanted the rules revised will find it hard to travel to Washington to participate in the discussions. He said the net neutrality debates should not be limited to one place only.

"Their voices are more important than industry lobbyists and members of Congress," the letter stated.

The FCC has been pushing for net neutrality to manage how Internet Service Providers (ISPs) regulate the web traffic.

In September and October, the FCC is expected to conduct debates at its Washington offices with the public to discuss whether the rule can be improved or modified.

The agency released an original version of the proposal but was rejected by a federal court in January.

The new proposed rules stipulated that ISPs will no longer be able to block any internet content, but allows deals in which internet users will be able to pay ISPs for a faster delivery of traffic.

In response to the request, an FCC spokesperson said even those who will not be able to come to the roundtable discussioins can still send their questions or suggestions online.

Conducting roundtables help a company include the views and opinions of the public on significant topics so it will be "open to the public and streamed live online," the spokesperson said.

The public will be able to contribute its opinion on the net neutrality until Sept. 10.

TagsNet Neutrality, FCC