CWA: FCC Expansion of E-rate Will Mean Higher Speed Networks for Schools, Libraries

The Communications Workers of America issued this statement on today’s Federal Communications Commission vote to update the E-rate program:

The Communications Workers of America supports the FCC's action today to modernize the E-rate program to help provide faster Internet and telecommunications services to our nation's schools and libraries. We are particularly encouraged by the FCC's goal of ensuring higher capacity networks for schools and libraries and we support President Obama’s call to connect 99 percent of the nation's public-school students to high speed broadband internet service within five years.

The E-rate program has been a big success and more remains to be accomplished. Since its creation 17 years ago, E-Rate has provided more than $30 billion to connect the overwhelming majority of schools to the Internet. When the E-rate program first was established, just 14 percent of classrooms were connected. Today over 92 percent of all classrooms are connected. The program is funded through the Universal Service Fund.  

Our schools and libraries need much higher capacity networks to enable students to take advantage of the great potential of digital learning and new technological advances. Our goal should be at least 1 gibabit per second capacity to every school in our nation.

Today’s FCC action is a good step forward.

Federal Communications Commission, July 19, 2013