Chairman Pai: FCC Working with Dept of Education to Spread Word on Ed Tech Funding

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai says that while the FCC's hands are tied when it comes to applying E-rate schools and libraries funding to remote learning during the pandemic, there are billions of dollars that could already be applied to that purpose Congress has already allocated and the FCC is working on getting educators to spend on education tech. Chairman Pai said he understood the frustration, and had asked Congress to clear away that statutory language impediment in the meantime. And while some suggest the FCC can just waive statutory language, as a lawyer he knows that is not the case. 

But Chairman Pai also pointed out that the CARES Act COVID-19 aid bill allocated $16 billion for schools and that the FCC was working with the Department of Education to let schools know that one of the things that money could be used for is educational tech. Chairman Pai said that working together, schools and the FCC can provide a holistic approach to distance learning and get students the connectivity they need.