Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) commended the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for voting to permanently increase the funding cap of the federal E-rate program by $1.5 billion per year. To ensure that sufficient funding is available for schools and libraries to deploy higher Internet speeds and Wi-Fi in every classroom over the next five years, the FCC voted today to raise the program’s funding cap from $2.4 billion to $3.9 billion per year.

“Fulfilling the promise of a world-class education for every child demands that our schools be wired with high-speed broadband and Wi-Fi,” said DelBene. “Today’s vote by the FCC to expand access to the E-rate program is a victory for students and teachers. I commend the FCC for its commitment to education and its determination to see this process through, which will make a meaningful difference in closing the digital divide and preparing kids for the jobs of the future.”

E-rate was established by Congress in 1996 to connect every school and library to the Internet, and it has provided financial assistance to schools and libraries for the cost of telecommunications and Internet services for nearly two decades. Today, it remains the federal government’s largest source of funding for technology in education. However, the program’s funding level is no longer sufficient to ensure schools and libraries can access the Internet speeds and wireless connections needed to support 21st century learning.

For example, Washington state requested $47 million in Wi-Fi discounts under the E-rate program in 2012, but only received $13 million due to insufficient funding in the program. The Commission’s vote today means that E-rate support for Wi-Fi will be newly available to more than 950,000 students in 2,400 schools and 330 libraries in Washington over the next five years.

“Expanding access to high-speed broadband in classrooms throughout our District is a top priority,” said Darrell Heisler, Executive Director of Technology at Sedro-Woolley School District. “Today's vote will allow us to leverage our District’s levy technology funds to provide higher Internet speeds and Wi-Fi to all our schools, which is critical to helping our students succeed.”

“Access to technology is critical to making sure students receive a high-quality education in the 21st century,” said Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn. “The E-rate program helps address the problem of inequity and provides broadband access to a number of students who might otherwise go without.”

Last December, DelBene joined 25 other members of Congress in sending a bipartisan letter to the FCC urging action to modernize and improve the federal E-rate program. Subsequently, in June, DelBene led 38 members of the New Democrat Coalition and six House Republicans in sending a second letter to the FCC supporting the recommended update to the E-rate program.

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