Libraries

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the consolidated cases Nos.

Lawyers defending the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to manage a longstanding $8.1 billion broadband subsidy expressed cautious optimism ahead of the March 26 Supreme Court oral arguments in FCC v.

Community anchor institutions (CAIs)—such as schools, libraries, community health centers, and similar organizations—play a crucial role in offering free or affordable internet access to underserved communities. In many areas, the connectivity options offered by CAIs—whether on-site (via wired or wireless networks) or through remote programs like hotspot lending—are among the few affordable and reliable services available.

When severe weather prevented Bullitt County (KY) students from attending school full time, a crucial library hotspot lending program kept 30 percent of them connected to their studies. These students would otherwise have had no access to virtual learning from their homes. This same program helps local farmers ensure the wellbeing of their livestock.

Federal law seeks to make communications technology like telephones and the internet, in the words of one older statute, “available, so far as possible, to all the people of the United States.” A longstanding federal program that seeks to implement this goal is now before the Supreme Court, in a case known as FCC v. Consumers’ Research, and the stakes could be enormous.

The Federal Communications Commission's Office of Managing Director (OMD) announces that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the second quarter of 2025 will be 0.366 or 36.6 percent. Contributions to the federal universal service support mechanisms are determined using a quarterly contribution factor calculated by the FCC. The FCC calculates the quarterly contribution factor based on the ratio of total projected quarterly costs of the universal service support mechanisms to contributors’ total projected collected end-user interstate and international telecommunications re

The Idaho Commission for Libraries, public libraries and partners, and the people of Idaho are once again caught in the culture war’s crosshairs. There’s been a last-minute effort by some members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee to eliminate the $6.3 million that has been appropriated by Congress to implement the Digital Access for All Idahoans Plan.

Under the Biden Administration, the Federal Communications Commission expanded the E-Rate broadband subsidy program to provide free Wi-Fi on school buses and Wi-Fi hotspot devices for off-campus use by school-age children, despite lacking congressional authorization. This expansion wastes taxpayer money and encroaches on parental authority over children’s screen use and should be ended.

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition appointed Joseph Wender as its new Executive Director, effective March 10, 2025, succeeding founding Executive Director John Windhausen. This transition comes at a pivotal moment in broadband policy, including a pending Supreme Court decision on the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF). Since its founding, SHLB has led efforts to ensure that every school, library, healthcare provider, and anchor institution has access to affordable, high-speed broadband.

On an afternoon in rural Alabama, a group of seniors gather at their local library, excited for what has become their favorite weekly activity. Some have never touched a computer before, while others had a few stories of frustration with outdated devices. But what united them was a desire to learn—and the patient guidance of Megan Waiters, the lead Digital Navigator for the Community Service Programs of West Alabama.