Last week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband held a hearing called “The State of Universal Service,” examining the growing demand for broadband and potential reforms to the Universal Service Fund to ensure “effectiveness in the years to come.” One of the testimonies in the hearing came from Timothy Chavez, Technology Director at the Cuba Independent School District in Cuba, New Mexico.
About two hours northwest of Santa Fe, the village of Cuba sits atop the Continental Divide at 6,900 feet and is home to around 750 residents. In his testimony, Mr. Chavez describes the unique challenges Cuba ISD faced in delivering broadband to its student body, as well as its remarkable increase in graduation rates as technology initiatives were completed. It is a compelling story, and I hope you will take the time to read it.
In his testimony, Mr. Chavez describes the real-world impact of E-rate and other federal technology funds in a succinct yet powerful way:
With this technology, our students are now a part of a global, interconnected and digitally-literate society. They are connected socially, emotionally, and in the future financially as we close the digital divide and open up opportunities here at home and across the world to our students.
The myriad of ways that the E-rate program has directly enriched students’ lives over the past 26 years cannot be overstated. And while the state of the program is strong, there is still work to be done. Cybersecurity threats endanger the robust connectivity enabled by E-rate discounts, and as other pandemic-era funding programs start to draw to a close, ensuring that the E-rate program remains consistent, robust, and relevant is critical.
You have a unique opportunity to share your E-rate success stories and challenges with the USAC and FCC staff directly responsible for the rules, regulations, and processes that will shape E-rate for years to come. Our 2023 Applicant Survey will be closing soon – don’t miss this chance to influence the direction of the program that is as vital to students in your community as it is in Cuba.
