In June John Oliver, the comedian and host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight," called on his viewers to send comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding net neutrality—the idea that all Internet traffic is treated the same.

He urged Internet commenters, famous for negative and depressing takes on innocent cat video's, to channel their anger and energy towards the FCC's newly proposed rules that govern the Internet. 

Oliver's video has over 6 and a half million views on YouTube, and last month the FCC said it has received over 3.7 million comments on the issue of net neutrality.

Streaming companies like Netflix and Hulu continue to grow in popularity, and major companies like CBS and HBO have announced plans to create streaming platforms in response to the modern "cutting the cord" phenomenon.  Not relying on cable TV for content is one thing, but most American's still have to pay an Internet service provider (Verizon or Timer Warner, for example) for the bandwidth to stream their favorite shows and access websites.

But Internet service providers want to charge companies like Netflix and Hulu for the amount of bandwidth it takes to deliver content, and last January a federal appeals court struck down FCC rules that would have stopped them from playing favorites.

See Also: Net Neutrality: The View From Silicon Valley Start-Ups

The FCC is currently considering a proposal that would allow Internet providers to charge companies like Netflix to get their content to you faster. It may seem arcane and complex to talk about ISP's, cable companies, and paid prioritization on the Internet, but the fight over access and control of web distribution impacts everything you do online.

Add in the proposed mega-merger between cable giants Comcast and Time Warner, and you have two upcoming FCC actions that could fundamentally alter the future and structure of the Internet. 

Michael Copps, a former FCC Commissioner and now a senior adviser for Media and Democracy Reform at Common Cause, weighs in