The action proposes to end post-pandemic initiatives for Wi-Fi on school buses and take-home hotspots.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has circulated two proposals to reverse previous decisions that expanded E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi services beyond schools and libraries. One proposal would overturn a 2023 decision allowing funding for Wi-Fi on school buses, while the other would rescind a 2024 rule permitting Wi-Fi hotspots for off-premises use by students and library patrons.
“The prior FCC eliminated many of the safeguards that Congress placed on those programs. The FCC also failed to demonstrate that these funding decisions would advance legitimate classroom or library purposes. I dissented from both decisions at the time, and I am now pleased to circulate these two items, which will end the FCC’s illegal funding unsupervised screen time for young kids,” Chairman Carr stated.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas stated, “I’m pleased that the FCC is moving to protect both taxpayers and parents’ ability to decide what their children can access online… I urge the House to act on the resolution and prevent this or similar harmful rules in the future.”
If adopted, the changes would direct the Universal Service Administrative Company to deny pending funding requests for these services starting in 2025. The FCC maintains that its statutory authority for such programs ended when pandemic-related legislation expired.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Chairman Carr and members of the FCC as they review federal funding and consider rescissions.
- For Senator Cruz as he heads the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sources: Federal Communications Commission
