Report and Order on Deployment of Wi-Fi in Schools and Libraries

In a Report and Order adopted November 20, the Federal Communications Commission made permanent the “category two budget” approach that the FCC adopted in 2014 to fund these internal connections with schools and libraries. The category two budget approach consists of five-year budgets for schools and libraries that provide a set amount of funding to support internal connections. In adopting this approach, the FCC also established a five-year test period (from funding year 2015 to funding year 2019), to consider whether this approach would be effective in ensuring greater and more equitable access to E-Rate discounts. Based on the overwhelming record support for the category two budget approach from the E-Rate community, coupled with the FCC's own experience during the five-year test period, the Commission concludes that the category two budget approach has provided broader, more equitable, and more predictable funding for schools and libraries than under the prior rules. The budget amount provided to schools and libraries during the test period proved to be successful, and, moving forward, the FCC intends to generally remain within those parameters of support. Building on the success of the category two budget approach, the FCC takes steps to (1) streamline processes to ensure more equitable, consistent distribution of support for small, rural schools and libraries within the existing E-Rate program budget for category two services, (2) simplify the category two budgets, and (3) decrease the administrative burden of applying for category two services.

The category two budget approach will become more streamlined, furthering the program’s overall effectiveness and the deployment of Wi-Fi in schools and libraries across the country.