Rural schools in Alaska will have access to faster internet speeds next year, despite the governor’s veto of a sweeping education bill earlier this month.
With just two days left until the deadline for federal funding, Alaska lawmakers announced that they would like to receive federal funding to pay local schools for internet speeds of up to 100 megabits per second, four times the current maximum speed. Approved a bill that will give you the opportunity to access subsidies.
Senate President Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) said at a press conference that House Bill 193 is “critically important.”
“We are hearing from schools across the state that they are having trouble teaching classes because they are having problems with internet speeds and having to wait for long periods of time for internet pages to load,” he added. The bill’s quick passage was proof that Congress could act quickly.
It is currently awaiting Governor Mike Dunleavy’s signature.
After the House passed the bill last week, the Senate passed it 18-1, with Sen. Mike Shower (R-Wasilla) voting against it. Sen. Elvi Gray Jackson (D-Anchorage) was excused from being absent.
During debate on the Senate floor, Mr. Shower said that while he agrees with the intent of House Bill 193, he wants schools to have more options to choose from and, if economically possible, schools to use faster communications. He said he wanted to be able to access the speed.
“This is a fast-paced game, so we want to look at how we can make sure we don’t limit this to fiber optics, satellites, and other emerging technologies,” he said.
He introduced an amendment that would have allowed schools to buy speeds faster than 100 mbps for the same or less price, but it failed.
Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, sponsored the Senate version of the bill, and its language includes local control for districts to choose their preferred providers, including satellite services called Low Earth Orbit Services, or LEO Services. He said that
“The purpose of this particular bill is to strive for a consistent level of access to the best possible broadband for people in rural areas of the state. This does not eliminate local control. “My understanding is that this does not eliminate LEO,” he said.
That’s a critical point for Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, who said she sees satellite services as having the potential to save the state a lot of money.
Alaska Telecommunications Association board member and industry advocate Christine O’Connor agreed that fiber internet alternatives such as satellite service Starlink are acceptable under the federal government’s E-rate program. He said at least one school has selected Starlink as its underlying technology for next year, and a handful of other districts are considering it.
O’Connor said he is excited about the bill’s passage. “I think this will be a night and day difference for our school,” she said. “25 mbps is better than no internet, but 100 mbps lets you do so much more.”
Lisa Paradis, executive director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators, an umbrella organization for school leaders, has supported the bill since its inception and said it would increase Internet speeds in rural schools. He said he was “excited” about the partisan effort.
“This is a huge step forward for our most rural and remote schools to begin to level the playing field for connectivity for all students,” she said.
Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, the lead sponsor of HB 193 in the House, said he has heard from the governor’s office that Dunleavy will likely allow the bill to become law.
Dunleavy vetoed Senate Bill 140, a Senate bill that was amended to address a wide range of education policies, including increasing per-student funding based on state law.
With a month and a half left in the legislative session, Senate majority leaders pointed to broader questions about school funding that have remained unanswered since the governor’s veto. Stevens said there are “a lot of concerns about education” and the Senate is waiting on the House’s plan.
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