US Students Need Help Getting Online

It’s critical that Congress provide funding in the next coronavirus relief bill to assist families that can’t afford internet access. But that will take time that students can’t afford. The government needs to do more to get them online now. 

The most efficient way to do so is through schools themselves. Over the past decade, the US has made significant progress in connecting schools to the internet. Nearly every district in the country now has sufficient bandwidth for digital instruction; in 2013, less than one-third did. The number of students with access to broadband in their schools has increased more than tenfold during that span. The expansion was spurred by a federal program called E-rate, which provides public schools and libraries with discounts on broadband and wireless connections. For schools in high-poverty areas, E-rate subsidies can cover up to 90% of the cost of maintaining high-speed networks.

Democratic lawmakers have pushed the Federal Communications Commission to give schools the flexibility to use E-rate funds to support students who lack at-home broadband. One option is for schools to purchase Wi-Fi hotspots and distribute them to students in need. Another is for districts to negotiate with service providers to help pay the broadband bills of low-income households. Districts could also expand existing networks beyond school grounds or create public wireless hubs in underserved areas.

Until the pandemic subsides, the FCC should waive the current E-rate restrictions and enable schools to help at least some students access the internet from home. Congress should appropriate sufficient funding to support the rest. Failing to do so will shortchange students, widen educational inequities and betray the country’s promise of equal opportunity.