The Federal Communications Commission has proposed scaling back or eliminating the E-Rate program, a $2 billion annual Universal Service initiative that provides discounted telecom services to schools and libraries. Chairman Brendan Carr led a 2-to-1 vote to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, arguing that students now spend too much time on screens and the program’s original goal of basic Internet access has been met. The FCC’s draft asks whether E-Rate should be sunset and if Congress intended it to run indefinitely.
Commissioner Anna Gomez, the agency’s sole Democrat, sharply criticized the move. She accused Carr of acting as the nation’s parent and said the FCC lacks the mandate to police screen time. She warned that scaling back would harm low-income and rural communities that depend on the program for digital education.
Senator Ed Markey and advocacy groups also condemned the proposal, calling it an attack on educational equality. The FCC already ended E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hotspot lending and bus Wi-Fi services last year. A final decision could come within months, with legal challenges likely to focus on whether the FCC exceeded its Congressional authority.