Tech industry urged to weigh in on E-Rate overhaul

Policymakers called on the tech industry to get involved in the overhaul of the E-Rate and help make it a success.

After all, the school Internet subsidy program worth $4 billion to $6 billion will be a boon to the industry’s bottom line in the long run. At an education technology summit at The Pew Charitable Trusts, Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, fellow FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Jim Shelton, acting deputy secretary at the Education Department, and Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, all made a pitch to Silicon Valley innovators, researchers, community and business leaders.

Once all schools are connected with access to high-speed broadband, schools’ demands for technology will skyrocket, said Commissioner Rosenworcel. It’s an opportunity to make money and serve the public, said Shelton. Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, said too few schools have adequate infrastructure, and the price of many devices deters schools from buying them. But widespread connectivity is likely to change schools’ outlook and give tech companies an opening to build more products for the education market. And as new computer-based tests associated with the Common Core academic standards come online, schools’ demands are guaranteed to grow.