What the FCC Should Do Now to Support America and Our Learners

Here are five ideas about what the Federal Communications Commission can do, right now, to keep us as a country moving forward:

1. Study and Share: As more Americans are told to stay home, the FCC should study how broadband networks are faring under the stress of more intensive use and publish these findings daily.
2. Protect Telecom Workers: The FCC should advocate for keeping our telecommunications workforce safe. 
3. Extend Deadlines: The FCC should extend any upcoming and non-essential deadlines so that everyone can focus on what matters most right now—responding to this crisis. 
4. Kill Data Caps and Overage Fees: The FCC should work with providers to eliminate data caps and overage fees. 
5. Use Universal Service Powers: We should use all of our universal service powers to meet this crisis head on. 

• We can take direct action to close the Homework Gap. We need to do everything in our power to help students get the connectivity they need. We have a sound statutory basis to do so through the E-Rate program.
• We can work with health care providers to ensure essential telehealth services are available for hospitals, doctors, and nurses treating coronavirus patients and those who are quarantined. We can explore other changes to put the Rural Health Care program to work. 
• We also can do more with our Lifeline program. We should look to increase the availability of voice and data as well as consider other emergency measures to support greater broadband access during this time of crisis.