Education Law

E-Rate gets an upgrade

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today approved upgrades that would allow schools and libraries the ability to access faster and more affordable Internet access through E-rate.

The FCC?s upgrades to E-rate include:

• Super-Fast Fiber: The FCC?s E-rate Order will help bring affordable, super-fast fiber connections to America?s schools and libraries. It allows participants to use E-rate funds to connect to the Internet in the most cost-effective way possible, including via unused fiber optic lines already in place across the country and through existing state, regional and local networks. With these fiber networks, schools and libraries can provide students and communities with cutting-edge connectivity, while at the same time saving millions of dollars by bypassing more expensive options.
• School Spots: The FCC is also opening the door to ?School Spots? — where schools have the option to provide Internet access to the local community after students go home. With affordable fiber, these School Spots are a major step toward the National Broadband Plan?s goal of connecting an anchor institution in every community to affordable 1 gigabit per second broadband. School Spots will help ensure that people who otherwise lack access can use broadband.
• Learning On-the-Go: The FCC is launching a pilot program that supports off-campus wireless Internet connectivity for mobile learning devices. Education doesn?t stop at the schoolyard gate or the library door. Digital textbooks and other innovative wireless devices allow students to learn in a real-world context, inside the classroom and beyond. Because of their low cost and accessibility, these mobile devices can also help advance digital equality, particularly for children from economically disadvantaged communities.
• 21st Century E-rate Program: The Order brings E-rate into the 21st Century by making the program more effective and efficient.

Issues concerning E-rate are one of many topics that will be addressed at this year’s T+L Conference, held in Phoenix from October 19-22. In addition, Karen Cator, director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology will be a featured speaker at the conference and is incidentally the subject of the American School Board Journal’s monthly newsmaker profile.

Don’t miss either opportunity to keep your system and staff informed and ready to meet the future of education.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on September 23, 2010 (boomark / email).