Policy & Law
FCC may kill $2B program connecting schools and libraries to internet
Tags Policy · Infrastructure · Consumer
Ars Technica·
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr proposed eliminating the E-Rate program, which provides $2 billion annually to connect schools and libraries to the internet, citing screen time concerns. Critics accused Carr of trying to be 'the nation's parent.' The program has been a cornerstone of digital equity efforts for decades.
Technical significance
Eliminating E-Rate would reverse decades of digital equity progress and disproportionately affect rural and low-income communities. The 'screen time' justification represents a novel framing that conflates connectivity access with usage patterns, potentially setting a precedent for using behavioral concerns to justify infrastructure defunding.