E-Rate 2.0: Commissioner Rosenworcel’s Plan to Reboot National Education

Last month, during an address at the Washington Education Technology Policy Summit, Federal Communications Commission member Jessica Rosenworcel announced that she will champion the schools and library program of the FCC’s Universal Service Fund, commonly known as the E-Rate program.

Commissioner Rosenworcel is no stranger to the program. She has worked on E-Rate for years while serving as counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee under Chairman Jay Rockefeller, in addition to serving on the agency staff and in private practice. Now, as an agency head, the commissioner stressed a need for continuous reassessment and support for E-Rate. Although the program is largely considered highly successful, it is outdated and unable to meet demand. Commissioner Rosenworcel has set out a step-by-step mission plan that will revolutionize the program and achieve what she calls “E-Rate 2.0.”

In order to “protect what we have already done, build on it, and put this program on a course to provide higher speed and greater opportunities,” Commissioner Rosenworcel outlined four steps to achieve E-Rate 2.0:

1. Increase E-Rate funding so that it can handle the increasing demand.
2. By the 2015 school year, every school should have access to 100 Megabits per 1000 students; by 2020, every school should have access to 1 Gigabit per 1000 students.
3. Encourage and institute new and creative public-private partnerships.
4. Simplify the process for applicants.