No More Guessing: $4.51 Billion is Needed Yearly for Homework Gap

The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) has provided a much-needed infusion of laptop computers and Wi-Fi hotspots to keep K-12 students and library patrons connected to the Internet. Up until this point, we have all been estimating what was needed to help our communities stay connected. The time for guessing is over. Based on ECF funding request data from 2021, Funds for Learning found that $4.51 billion is needed annually to provide secure devices with internet connections to families who otherwise lack adequate connectivity. Armed with real-world information, the ground has been laid for better laws and regulations. By providing support for securely connected devices, Congress can quickly and effectively impact homes in every zip code. Investing $4.51 billion per year into a program that will help connect our students, school staff and library patrons should be a simple decision for all members of Congress. This is particularly true because the FCC has proven that it can effectively launch and maintain such a program. Keeping our communities securely connected is an on-going challenge. Fortunately, the ECF program has given us the data and now we know the answer to our question: $4.51 billion per year is needed. [Nov 10]