A few weeks after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr called for a broad review of the 30-year-old federal E-rate program, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking June 26 that floated the idea of ending the program. Education leaders and experts on the digital divide have since weighed in, arguing that would be a grave mistake.
The E-rate program, which provides financial support to schools and libraries for broadband connectivity, was established in 1996 and funded starting in 1997. At that time, 65 percent of U.S. public schools had Internet access, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The FCC’s notice asked whether the program has fulfilled Congress’ original objective of bringing Internet access to schools and libraries, given that “virtually all schools report having broadband connectivity and Wi-Fi.” It also cited ill effects of screen time as a reason to rethink the program.
Indeed, rates of digital connectivity have grown since E-rate’s introduction. The FCC’s notice cited a 2019 State of the States report from the nonprofit EducationSuperHighway that found 99 percent of K-12 schools had high-speed Internet access. In 2023, researchers found that 96 percent of New York public schools were connected.
Some detail that might help the E-Rate…
The FCC’s notice acknowledges that the Congressional mandate that created the E-rate program does not empower the FCC to terminate the program, but advocates are still worried. Education and library organizations argue that the framing of the FCC’s notice misunderstands that digital connectivity requires ongoing maintenance, that the program’s success is evidence of its importance, and that cybersecurity threats and evolving technologies necessitate ongoing work.