• FCC Chairman seeks public consultation regarding E-Rate program
• Introduced in 1997, it offers schools 20-90% discounts on internet
• School bus Wi-Fi has already been pulled amid educational impact concerns

The FCC is considering ending the long-running E-Rate program in the US, which currently provides around $2 billion annually to help public facilities like schools and libraries pay for internet connections and networking infrastructure.

Chairman Brendan Carr has ordered a review of the scheme to determine whether it still fulfils its original purpose.

It launched in 1997 as a way to democratize access to internet during the web’s infancy, but rising screen time is now being slated for impacting education.

FCC worries about internet’s impact on schoolchildren

Carr referenced research that linked excessive screen use with lower reading performance, declining math scores, poorer cognitive development and more distraction.

“More than half of students now use a computer for up to four hours a day, and a quarter of them spend more than four hours on screens,” he said.

A notice now asks whether the E-Rate program should be limited or sunset entirely, and the FCC is now seeking public consultation. Some potential measures could include new safeguards around educational use, a reduction in funding or even ending the program entirely.

The FCC already pulled funding for Wi-Fi on school buses in a bid to reassert the program’s position as one to support educational internet use – not one to provide schoolchildren with Wi-Fi for personal use.

Current discounts for schools and libraries range from 20-90%, with lower-income and rural locations typically receiving more support. Pulling the funding could impact these regions more.

Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass) warned it could reverse nearly three decades of work.

As for now, the future of E-Rate remains unconfirmed.