Education and library groups battled in E-rate modernization...
Education and library groups battled in E-rate modernization replies filed at Tuesday’s deadline over increasing funding for the program. The FCC “continues to lack sufficient baseline data to determine the ‘high-capacity connectivity'” needed to make decisions on future E-rate funding,…
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so it’s “premature” for the commission to consider increasing funding, said the American Cable Association (http://bit.ly/1pGbkL3), echoing comments telcos made earlier (CD Sept 18 p11). More data would only back up the need for more funding, emailed American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Associate Executive Director Noelle Ellerson. Arguing the FCC isn’t able to increase funding without more data is “short-sighted, ill-willed, and certain to not only undermine the long-term success and sustainability of the E-rate program but to also threaten the continued persistence of the connectivity gap if not further exacerbate it,” Ellerson said. “In a time when almost every single classroom and the majority of libraries in the nation have lower speed internet access than the average American home while serving multiple times more users per day, it is time to ensure that our libraries and schools are connected with the quality of connectivity that is sufficient and scalable for today’s ever-growing connectivity needs,” said a joint letter from more than 30 companies and groups, including AASA and the National Education Association. The commission should ensure there’s sufficient funding for low-income schools and libraries to have adequate broadband and Wi-Fi connections, said minority groups including the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, the NAACP and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (http://bit.ly/1rGyuoB). But an increase shouldn’t hit consumers or pull money from other USF programs like Lifeline, and distinctions should be removed between funding broadband connections to schools and libraries, and Wi-Fi within the facilities, the groups said. Echoing Chairman Tom Wheeler’s call for closing the connectivity gap facing rural schools and libraries, the American Library Association (ALA) said (http://bit.ly/1E0H4VL) “over half of all libraries report speeds of 10 Mbps or less -- for rural libraries this increases to about 70 percent.” ALA also called for more funding.