The Biden administration is taking steps to address the rollback of programs that have helped more than 23 million households gain internet access. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to “modernize” the E-Rate program, which helps libraries and schools provide WiFi hotspots to students and patrons. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel visited an elementary school in Los Angeles and spoke to mothers struggling to stay connected because of rising rent and food costs.
Rosenworcel called their stories “horrifying” and emphasized the importance of internet access for children to survive in the modern world. Established in the 1990s, the E-Rate program has provided more than $7 billion in discounts to eligible schools and libraries since 2022.
FCC Enforces E-Rates for WiFi Hotspots
The program has expanded to include WiFi on school buses and will soon include WiFi hotspots. The decision is also in response to the failure of an extension of the Affordable Connectivity Program grant. Alex Hauff, who manages digital equity programs at the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland, said the WiFi hotspot lending program has expanded to 1,000 units, but that’s still not enough to meet demand.
Cost remains the biggest barrier to internet access, but the expansion of the E-Rate program has faced opposition from two Republican commissioners, who say the program should focus on supporting internet access in the classroom, not at home or other places where students “want to learn.”
Despite these disagreements, Rosenworcel remains confident in the health of the Universal Service Fund, which supports E-Rate and other FCC-administered internet access programs, and she believes updating the Affordable Connectivity Program is the easiest way to address internet access needs.
