FCC wants to Expand the E-Rate Program

The FCC’s wants to expand the E-Rate program that will provide almost universal access to high-speed broadband with an emphasis on widespread wireless capability. The desired short term goals are a minimum of 100 megabits per second per 1,000 students in all schools and for the long term 1 gigabit for the same number of students. The proposal is very ambitious and everybody wants it but the debate is how to pay for it. Currently, “schools and libraries apply for a cut of $2.25 billion in annual discounts for telecommunications services, Internet and internal connections.” They get the money from the “Universal Service Fund, created to help pay for expanded access to telecommunications services in rural and low-income areas and for schools, libraries and rural health care providers.”

            It is very important foe the country to invest in human capital so they should really try to reach a compromise. Schools have suffer a lot with all cut during the recession and this going to help improve education. It’s sad that they want this program to improve the poor and rural schools but they are ones that are less likely to apply because of the paperwork. If they already know that is going to be an issue they should also try to fix that.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/schools-internet-subsidy-education-100015.html