Changes Proposed for the FCC?s E-Rate Program

The FCC has taken the first steps toward implementing the National Broadband Plan's vision for an enhanced E-rate program, which provides educational institutions with discounts for high-speed Internet.

While E-rate has successfully increased connectivity at schools and libraries across the country, the program has never kept up with the demand from America's educational community.

Speed Matters' partner the American Library Association submitted comments to the FCC with suggestions for improving E-rate:

The association calls on the FCC to streamline the E-rate application process and index the annual funding cap to inflation plus address actual applicant demand, among a number of other recommendations. ALA continues to caution the FCC not to expand the program to new services at the expense of the critical current applicant needs.

The Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) applauded the FCC's proposal to raise the annual cap on E-rate funding to account for inflation, but notes that the program will require more money to fund the estimated $4 billion in current demand for E-rate support. According to EdLiNC:

"An inaccurate and thus far unchanged E-rate funding estimate from more than 12 years ago has led to a generalized funding crisis for the entire program and led the program closer to the brink of eliminating critical priority two services."

An expanded E-rate program is part of the FCC's strategy to guarantee 1 gigabit per second broadband to all anchor institutions by 2020.

For more information for the importance of broadband Internet in primary and secondary education, click here.

School and Libraries Ask FCC to Raise E-rate Cap on Classrooms and Libraries

Benefits – K-12 Education