CWA Support for Strenghtening E-Rate Program
The FCC is currently reviewing ways to strengthen the E-rate program, a highly successful program that provides subsidies to schools and libraries for Internet connectivity. The E-Rate program has helped tens of thousands of schools and libraries connect to the Internet at affordable rates. In this era of state and local budget crises, it is more important than ever to maintain and expand this program as a critical component of the FCC's National Broadband Plan to provide a gigabyte of connectivity to every community anchor institution.
In comments to the FCC in the E-rate proceeding, CWA strongly urged the FCC to raise the cap on the E-rate program. Since its inception 12 years ago, the E-rate has been capped at $2.25 billion a year. This has never been enough to fund all the worthy applications for support. Therefore, CWA joined Speed Matters partners' in the schools and libraries communities, including EdLiNC, in calling for increasing the funding to at least $4 billion per year, with annual increases at the rate of inflation.
The E-rate has proven to be a successful model of public-private partnership. Schools and libraries develop their Internet plans, apply to the FCC for funding, and then through an RFP process select the appropriate commercial providers to provide the service. CWA urged the Commission to retain this highly successful model, and expressed concerns about proposals to lift restrictions on schools and libraries using E-Rate funds for so-called "dark fiber" networks. While some see dark fiber as a way for schools and libraries to save money, there are many hidden costs. Dark fiber networks are merely the pipes that carry information in them. However, it is unmanaged and requires a team of technicians and experienced network operators capable of setting up and maintaining the network.
You can read the entire text of CWA's comments here.
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