It seems that schools and libraries have been in the FCC’s sights for the past four weeks! E-rate has started to venture outside school and library walls with the declaratory ruling that Wi-Fi service on school buses will be eligible for funding in FY2024, and a proposal to make off-campus Wi-Fi hotspot service for schools and libraries was released last month. Then, in an effort to help protect E-rate-funded networks and collect data about how best to provide support for additional protections in the future, the FCC announced a proposal for a cybersecurity pilot program that could provide as much as $200 million to bolster schools and libraries’ cybersecurity posture.
Right now, E-rate stakeholders have a tremendous opportunity to influence future policy and processes. The FCC values the voices of E-rate program participants, and I believe comments from schools, libraries, and service providers can profoundly shape the direction that bus Wi-Fi, student and patron hotspots, and cybersecurity will go in the coming months.
Submitting comments is easy! You needn’t be an attorney or legal expert to share your thoughts with the FCC. To get started, follow this easy guide. To ensure your comment is directed to the correct place, use the following Proceeding numbers:
Bus Wi-Fi: 13-184
Student and patron Wi-Fi hotspots: 21-31
Cybersecurity pilot program: 23-234
The comment deadlines for all these proceedings have not yet passed – the FCC is listening, now is the time to make your voice heard!
