- FCC Chairman Seeks Public Hearing on E-Rate Program
- Introduced in 1997, it offers schools 20-90% off internet
- School bus Wi-Fi has already been pulled due to concerns about educational implications
The FCC is considering ending the long-running E-Rate program in the U.S., which currently provides about $2 billion annually to help public facilities like schools and libraries pay for Internet connections and network infrastructure.
Chairman Brendan Carr has ordered a review of the scheme to determine whether it still serves its original purpose.
It was launched in 1997 as a way to democratize access to the internet in the internet’s infancy, but increasing screen time is now set to affect education.
The FCC is concerned about the Internet’s impact on school children
Carr cited research linking excessive screen use to lower reading performance, declining 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 on screens,” he said.
A notice now asks whether the E-Rate program should be limited or phased out entirely, and the FCC is now seeking public hearings. Some potential measures could include new safeguards around educational use, a reduction in funding, or even ending the program entirely.
The FCC has already pulled funding for Wi-Fi on school buses in an effort to reaffirm the program’s position as one to support educational Internet use — not one to provide schoolchildren with Wi-Fi for personal use.
Current discounts for schools and libraries range from 20-90%, with lower income and rural areas typically receiving more support. Withdrawing the funds could affect these regions more.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass) warned it could reverse nearly three decades of work.
For now, the future of E-Rate remains unconfirmed.
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