Remarks of Commissioner Clyburn at SHLB Coalition

What a pleasure it is for me to be able to say thank you in person for the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition's (SHLB) advocacy on a wide range of issues, from the FCC's four universal service programs to Open Internet....We must ensure that the funding, which flows from E-rate reforms to deploy fiber and robust Wi-Fi into all of our schools and libraries, is leveraged so that every child has access to world-class education.

The FCC has embraced the goal of having 100 Megabits per 1,000 students to all of our schools in the near term, and 1 Gigabit per 1,000 students to all going forward. Ambitious? Yes. Achievable? Yes, but only, with your help. I am optimistic, however, because SHLB understands that e-rate modernization was about far more than just adopting speed targets and revamping a budget. And I am optimistic, because the FCC remains focused on its objective of ensuring access to world-class digital learning tools - an objective shared by SHLB and the education community. But the FCC needs your continued feedback. Tell us how the reforms are working in practice, share any concerns you have and, of course, tell us what we are doing right, because positive feedback is welcome as well.