02/25/10
Fed issues ruling to make internet available at schools after hours
The Federal Communications Commission held a vote recently that will open schools up to the community that will allow access to high-speed internet.
The E-Rate program will funds schools' connectivity to the internet under the $8 billion Universal Service Fund subsidy program for low-income families to gain access to phone service as well as for education and health services.
The order helps to provide greater broadband access to Americans at no cost to the fund, along with moving the national broadband plan forward, FCC officials said.
According to the commission, the program will help adults taking evening digital literacy courses, unemployed Americans looking for jobs posted online, people who need to access online government services, among others.
“Especially in these times of economic crisis, having broad community access to broadband is essential,” said Julius Genachowski, chair of the FCC. “We know that broadband availability and adoption are lagging, especially in rural, minority, low-income and tribal communities.”
The vote to expand use of the web connections funded by E-Rate comes about a month before the FCC is to give Congress a set of policy recommendations for the national broadband plan that will make internet access faster and available to more Americans.
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