Telecoms giant BT has denied reports that it's paving the way for an internet "fast lane" with a new service named Content Connect, which allows broadband providers to prioritize video from certain clients, such as the iPlayer or YouTube, if the video sites pay a fee.

However, the response from web users hasn't been positive, with accusations claiming the company is abandoning network neutrality for profit. Net neutrality is a principle that states all content should be delivered equally to everyone.

BT has responded by denying that Content Connect will create a two-tiered internet, saying that it "supports the concept" of net neutrality. It also said, however, that ISPs should be free to charge content owners for a "higher quality" delivery mechanism, which seems something of a contradiction.

A confused BT spokesperson told the Guardian: "Contrary to recent reports in the media, BT's Content Connect service will not create a two-tier internet, but will simply offer service providers the option of differentiating their broadband offering through enhanced content delivery."

The problem is that consumers have, over the last few years, taken to streaming video from the likes of iPlayer and YouTube in a big way, and ISPs got caught between a lack of investment in their networks and having promised consumers that their data wouldn't be capped. Essentially, people started to actually use the services they were paying for, which took ISPs somewhat by surprise.

With Content Connect, content companies pay the ISPs to store material on servers owned by the ISP, closer to the user. As a result, delivery of that content will be more certain at peak times. However, opponents to the idea say that it penalises smaller companies who can't afford the fees, meaning their content is delivered less efficiently.

Meanwhile, the coalition government has stumbled into the argument too. Ed Vaizey went on record in mid-November saying that he was happy for ISPs to create a two-tiered internet, but then claimed shortly afterwards that he was misquoted. Since then, a number of the UK's internet companies have demanded that the government enshrine net neutrality in UK legislation, a subject that the government has been suspiciously quiet on.

Google came under fire late last year for similar reasons, with accusations that it was getting into bed with network operators to support tiered wireless internet platforms.