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Democrat Geoffrey Starks will depart the FCC within the next month, leaving the agency with a 2-1 Republican majority. Whether the GOP members will move to reverse past E-rate expansions remains to be seen. -
Experts at the Consortium for School Networking’s annual conference in Seattle urged K-12 leaders to contact the FCC and Congress and voice their support for the E-rate program that funds school broadband.
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A conservative-leaning FCC, coupled with legal and congressional challenges, have created uncertainty around the E-rate program that funds school broadband. Experts say districts will need local funding and community partnerships to fill the gap.
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A bill moving through Congress proposes that districts receiving funds through the E-Rate program should not allow social media access, but it may be more practical for districts to address the problem individually.
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SETDA, CoSN and 10 other nonprofits or professional associations applaud the Federal Communications Commission’s initiative but ask the federal agency to protect sensitive data during the pilot.
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The Federal Communications Commission recently extended E-Rate funding to cover WiFi on school buses, but some Republicans say this will raise fees on telecommunications providers and not improve learning outcomes.
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The federal E-rate program has the potential to be a well of funding for cybersecurity that K-12 schools and libraries are eager to tap to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals.
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Plus, the Biden administration works to make it easier for people with disabilities to access public services online; the FCC rolls out more Emergency Connectivity funding for schools; and more.
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The proposal would create a new pilot program, allotting up to $200 million over three years, for schools and libraries to assess effective cybersecurity methods and implement advanced firewalls, among other needs.
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A coalition of education advocacy groups have asked the FCC to allow schools to use federal E-rate funding to strengthen their IT security infrastructure amid an onslaught of cyber attacks targeting the education sector.
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A recent report on the nationwide initiative to bring Internet connectivity to schools and libraries found it has been a vital part of modernization, and now it needs to invest in making those connections secure.
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The nonprofit’s annual report on how to improve K-12 education in the U.S. includes recommendations to bridge the digital divide, promote education innovations, develop new assessments and recover from learning loss.
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Panelists in a session at the ISTELive 22 annual conference emphasized the importance of advocacy groups, and how supporting them can lead to major dollars going to schools and ed tech through legislation.
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Visiting Haverhill High School on Monday, Senator Edward Markey, Congresswoman Lori Trahan and other officials discussed the the E-Rate program, American Rescue Plan and other strides toward closing the digital divide.
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Launched in June, the Public Education Department’s program has helped 110 school districts, tribal-affiliated and charter schools apply for more than $65 million in federal aid. A new application window starts Sept. 28.
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The Massachusetts school district drew from the Emergency Connectivity Fund and other sources to buy 1,200 Chromebooks, 900 laptops, 1,500 broadband hotspots, interactive touchscreens and electronic whiteboards.
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Schools in need of Internet access and related equipment for virtual learning have another opportunity to receive money through the Emergency Connectivity Fund, the FCC announced this week.
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In light of an ongoing cyber crime epidemic that’s unlikely to end soon, federal agencies must take action to update policy definitions, increase spending caps and partner with school districts to defend their networks.
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With the help of matching funds from the federal E-Rate program, the Pennsylvania district is spending more than $180,000 to upgrade its eight-year-old network with 78 wireless access points and 12 switches.
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School districts continue to get hit by ransomware attacks. But it’s not just IT’s job to keep networks and data secure.
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The Federal Communications Commission has announced rules for its new Emergency Connectivity Fund, which will distribute $7.17 billion announced earlier this year for school broadband and devices.
