FCC Chief Aims to Bolster Internet for Schools

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler is expected to propose a 62 percent increase in the amount of money the agency spends annually to wire schools and libraries with high-speed Internet connections. The goal is for fiber optic lines to reach to every school and a Wi-Fi connection in every classroom.

He will propose that the annual cap on spending for school Internet needs be raised by $1.5 billion, to $3.9 billion, according to an FCC official who spoke on condition of anonymity but was authorized to release details of the proposal. The initiative is part of a continuing overhaul of the Universal Service Fund and its educational component, known as E-Rate. The new spending would lead to an increase of roughly 16 percent in the monthly fee on consumers’ phone bills. FCC officials say consumers would pay less than $2 a year in additional fees per phone line, or less than $6 extra per household, on average; currently the average household pays about $36 a year. But the amount an individual household pays can vary widely, with fees assessed on both home and mobile service. Businesses pay into the program as well.