Congress and FCC Can Keep Students Online

Congress and the Federal Communications Commission should act swiftly to ensure that all our school-aged children are online and continue learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Keeping students safe and connected during this challenging time is essential to our society’s well-being. Urgent and effective action is required, and the existing E-rate funding program is the most viable solution to meet the need. Congress should immediately:

1. Contribute stimulus support to the E-rate Category Two budget system.
2. Designate off-campus connectivity for students as an educational purpose.

The FCC should immediately:

1. Expand Category Two funding to include end-user devices and off-campus connectivity.
2. Waive its 28-day bidding period in favor of local emergency bidding requirements.
3. Allow FY2020 Category Two funding requests to be submitted until June 30, 2020.