Chairman Wheeler's Response to Sen Udall (D-NM) Regarding E-Rate Funding

On Oct 3, 2016, Sen Tom Udall (D-NM) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler urging the FCC to, "take additional steps to close the 'homework gap,' the digital divide facing too many students from rural areas and low-income families in New Mexico and across the nation." He called on the FCC to, "use its existing authority to allow E-Rate to support school bus Wi-Fi service in a manner that is both technically feasibly and economically reasonable." Sen Udall added, "If the Commission does not believe that such an initiative is possible under its current authority, I will seek legislation to provide the flexibility to do so."

On Nov 17, Chairman Wheeler responded by discussing the FCC's recent E-rate Modernization Orders, the modernization of the Lifeline program, and recent Wireline Competition Bureau petitions that raise issues regarding eligibility of off-campus use of E-rate supported services for education purposes.