FCC Can't Use E-rate Funds to Pay for Home Wireless Connections for Students, Pai Says
The FCC doesn’t have legal authority to use E-rate funds to pay for wireless connections so students can learn at home, Chairman Ajit Pai said in a letter to Senate Democrats posted Thursday. “The Commission must act within the bounds…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
of the statutory authority given to the agency by Congress and use E-Rate program funding for broadband and other ‘services’ provided to school ‘classrooms,’” Pai wrote: “As such, wireless connectivity and devices supplied to students at home unfortunately do not qualify for E-Rate support under the law, regardless of whether they are being used for educational purposes.” A September letter by most Senate Democrats asked Pai “to utilize the E-Rate program to close” the homework gap “without further delay.”