Schools and libraries nationwide are urging the FCC to abandon Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal to limit or sunset the E-Rate program, which provides $2 billion annually to connect students and library visitors to the Internet. Carr criticized schools for increasing student screen time and argued E-Rate has exceeded its original purpose of supporting basic educational Internet access. In June, he led a 2-1 vote to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on whether the program should be scaled back or ended.
The proposal could reduce telecom discounts and impose stricter usage rules, potentially eliminating E-Rate entirely. Critics, including the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the American Library Association, argue the program remains essential and that Congress, not the FCC, has authority over its continuation. They note that E-Rate was created by the 1996 telecommunications law to address limited school and library Internet access, and that local authorities—not the federal government—should decide on content appropriateness.
State library groups in Texas and New York also weighed in, calling for increased funding to meet modern broadband needs and criticizing current E-Rate distribution as inequitable.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing