On September 28, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission announced its tentative agenda for the October open Commission meeting to be held on October 19, 2023. Among the items on the agenda for consideration is a Declaratory Ruling that “would clarify that the use of Wi-Fi on school buses is an educational purpose and…is therefore eligible for E-Rate funding.” First proposed in May 2022, the Declaratory Ruling by the FCC seeks to narrow the “homework gap” by clarifying that Wi-Fi on school buses is an educational purpose, and as such, should be eligible for E-rate discounts starting in Funding Year 2024.
In the draft Ruling, the Commission states that it has received numerous “requests from E-rate stakeholders asking that…Wi-Fi on school buses be made eligible,” and notes that the Emergency Connectivity Program has committed approximately $58.2 million for the services thus far. Referencing an average cost of $1,840 per school bus per year, the FCC believes that “any potential impact of our action on the E-Rate program budget and the Universal Service Fund would be nominal compared to the substantial benefit reaped by students.”
The draft ruling may be viewed here.
