Alaska librarians worry broadband costs will skyrocket after federal review

The cost of online access for schools and libraries across Alaska could increase dramatically if a long-standing federal subsidy ends. The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the E-rate program that for three decades has helped schools and libraries across the nation lower their connectivity costs. In the past, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has suggested the subsidy should be reduced or eliminated. Alaska school leaders and public librarians are worried about a potential cut at a time when districts are already struggling with budget deficits. Tiki Levinson has been an Alaska librarian for decades, first in the Bristol Bay district at the Naknek school and now as the public librarian in Delta Junction. She was the school librarian in Naknek when the E-rate subsidy first became available in the 1990s. She says it was transformative. “We knew it had a lot of potential to help students, but we had no idea how we were going to be able to afford to bring that tool to our community. And so the E-rate program opened that door and let us start offering educational access to the internet,” she said.