Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said, “Today’s decision corrects course. It restores the FCC’s commitment to following the law as written and respecting the intent of Congress. Section 254 of the Communications Act is clear: E-Rate funding is meant to enhance access to telecommunications services in classrooms and libraries. A school bus is neither. We cannot simply reinterpret “classrooms” to mean any place where learning might occur. That’s not how statutory interpretation works, and it’s not how responsible policymaking should work either.”

“For more than 25 years, the FCC’s E-Rate Program has helped us narrow the digital divide by making telecommunications and information services more affordable for schools and libraries,” said FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez. “It has connected library patrons, empowered teachers, and equipped students with digital skills…The Commission’s move to roll back federal funding for hotspots and Wi-Fi on school buses ignores our nation’s educational landscape today and the need to equip students with digital skills for the future. Let me be clear, these decisions benefit no one.”

“The Commission has a special responsibility to adhere to the limits Congress has set when spending public money through the universal service fund,” said FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty. “Under our constitution, Congress’s ‘power of the purse’ is central to the system of checks and balances. For us that means two things: first, that we must never exceed the limits Congress has placed on universal service support,4and second, that we must carefully evaluate the financial consequences of our decisions to ensure they are consistent with our statutory authority. In this way, we respect Congress’s constitutional role while fulfilling our own.”

“The Benton Institute is saddened by the FCC’s first rollback of this popular and effective program,” said Revati Prasad, Executive Director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. “The losers today are the children and lifelong learners who will be cut off from the internet. Chairman Carr’s cruel move to delete our kids’ Internet connections won’t make America smarter. Parents, teachers, students, and lifelong learners throughout the country understand firsthand how the Internet has become one of the most transformative learning tools of our generation. Today’s major digital disconnect will likely leave those we care about less prepared to compete and win the jobs of the future.”

“Ending these programs takes away proven, cost-effective solutions that close the Homework Gap, particularly for low-income and rural students,” said Joseph Wender, Executive Director of the SHLB Coalition. “Students who rely on long bus rides to complete assignments and library patrons who depend on hotspots for work, education, or telehealth will suddenly lose access to essential tools. This decision is a step backward.”

“AASA is disappointed in today’s vote by the FCC to end the school bus wi-fi and hotspot lending programs,” said Noelle Ellerson Ng, Chief Advocacy & Governance Officer for AASA, The School Superintendents Association. “It is a clear step backward for student connectivity, rolling back proven, cost-effective supports, and a step that will exacerbate the Homework Gap, especially for students in low-income and rural communities who rely on these services for schoolwork.”

“We don’t yet know the full extent of what this vote means for libraries and schools and the communities we serve, but we do know that libraries were relying on sustainable E-Rate funding,” said Sam Helmick, President of the American Library Association. “ALA is both disappointed by the FCC’s takebacks and discouraged by the lack of due process, which left no opportunity for staff, patrons, and library advocates to give input on the draft order. For years, we have engaged in the rulemaking process in good faith, partnering with the FCC to fulfill its mandate to make reliable, high-quality broadband available nationwide. And today, the Commission openly voted to snatch back the opportunity to offer more Americans, especially in rural areas, the high-speed internet access to do the business of life online – pay bills, make telehealth appointments, fill out school applications – after the library closes.”

“We are disappointed by today’s repeal of the FCC’s support for Wi-Fi hotspots and Wi-Fi on school buses,” Amy Loyd, CEO of All4ed. “This decision threatens to widen the Homework Gap by cutting off a vital source of internet access funding for students—especially in low-income and rural communities.  Allowing schools and libraries to use E-Rate funds for Wi-Fi hotspots and Wi-Fi on school buses is a common-sense step that reflects the realities of modern learning. Repealing this rule helps no one.”

“Cutting off kids’ internet access is cutting off their future,” said Amina Fazlullah, Head of Tech Policy Advocacy for Common Sense Media. “In today’s increasingly online learning environment, it is essential that students have internet access for homework. The FCC’s vote today to strip away internet access for millions of kids is a betrayal of every student who needs and deserves the same chance to learn as their peers. It will only widen the Homework Gap — and hurt rural students especially hard — when our focus should be on closing it.”

“At a time when digital access is essential for learning, policymakers should be expanding access—not rolling it back. The FCC’s decision to strip broadband access from students —whether on school buses, at home, or in community spaces—is a serious mistake,” said Keith R. Krueger, CEO of CoSN.

CoSN, All4Ed, EdTrust, National Education Association, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Parents Union and Southern Education Foundation today issued the following joint statement: “Reliable internet access is vital for learning in the 21st century. Schools and libraries have stepped up to bridge gaps in access, but they cannot shoulder this burden alone. By maintaining support for Wi-Fi hotspots and Wi-Fi on school buses, the FCC can uphold its mission to ensure universal service and keep millions of students and families connected to opportunity. We respectfully urge you to protect these programs and preserve the progress our nation has made in closing the Homework Gap.”

 

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