- FCC Chairman Seeks Public Comment on E-Rate Program
- Launched in 1997, it offers schools discounts of 20 to 90% on the Internet.
- School bus Wi-Fi has already been removed due to concerns about impact on education
The FCC is considering ending the long-running E-Rate program in the United States, which currently provides about $2 billion a year to help public facilities like schools and libraries pay for Internet connections and network infrastructure.
Speaker Brendan Carr has ordered a review of the project to determine whether it still serves its original purpose.
It was launched in 1997 as a way to democratize access to the internet in its early days, but increased screen time is now expected to impact education.
FCC concerned about impact of Internet on schoolchildren
Carr referenced research that linked excessive screen use to poor reading performance, lower math scores, poorer cognitive development and more distraction.
“More than half of students now use a computer for up to four hours a day, and a quarter of them spend more than four hours in front of screens,” he said.
An advisory now asks whether the E-Rate program should be limited or eliminated altogether, and the FCC is now launching a public comment. Some potential measures could include new safeguards regarding educational use, reduced funding, or even ending the program altogether.
The FCC has already withdrawn funding for Wi-Fi on school buses in an effort to reaffirm the program’s position as one intended to support educational use of the Internet and not to provide school children with Wi-Fi access for personal use.
Current discounts for schools and libraries range from 20 to 90 percent, with rural and low-income areas generally receiving greater support. Removing funding could have a greater impact on these regions.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) warned it could undo nearly three decades of work.
At this time, the future of E-Rate is not yet confirmed.
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