Sens Udall, Gardner Introduce Bill to Put Wi-Fi on School Buses

Sens Tom Udall (D-NM) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced a bill to put wireless internet on school buses in order to help students without broadband access at home get online to study and do homework. The legislation would allow the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program to reimburse schools that place Wi-Fi technology on school buses carrying students to school or school related extracurricular activities. The legislation has received widespread support from stakeholders, including the School Superintendents Association, a professional organization representing thousands of educational leaders through America and the world, the Competitive Carriers Association, an advocacy organization for rural, regional and nationwide wireless telecommunications, and NTUA Wireless, a Navajo owned communications company. Tribal communities in New Mexico are particularly disadvantaged by the digital divide, with nearly 80 percent of Tribal members living in rural New Mexico unable to access the internet at home.