Technology companies opposed to the idea of broadband providers charging extra to reach customers at the fastest speeds are quietly plotting their strategy to fight it. One option is to mobilize their millions of users to do the talking.

A proposal floated last week by Federal Communications Chairman Tom Wheeler would forbid broadband providers from blocking or slowing down individual websites, but allow them to strike deals with content companies for preferential treatment to reach consumers at premium speeds. The idea has prompted a fierce backlash from advocates of "net neutrality," the concept that all Internet traffic should be treated equally.

Among the largest Internet companies, most are staying quiet until the FCC briefs them on the proposal Friday and are referring questions to the Internet Association, a two-year-old trade group representing Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Netflix Inc. and others. But officials inside the companies who follow government policy say they are considering mobilizing a grass-roots campaign to rally public opinion around the idea that the Internet's pipes should be equally open for all.

Such an approach was used to great effect in late 2011 to scuttle the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, which would have significantly enhanced online copyright protections. A coalition of Web companies, nonprofits and activists banded together to oppose the bill, which was backed by the entertainment and retail industries.

That "netroots" campaign succeeded in undoing nearly a decade of lobbying, thanks largely to a huge online protest where Google, Wikipedia, and a number of other major websites went dark and told users to call lawmakers to oppose the bill. Ever since SOPA and a companion bill called PIPA went down, Congress has been hesitant to touch any legislation that interferes with how the Internet works.