The FCC should send Wi-Fi hotspots to schools to close the homework gap

The Federal Communications Commission should use its power in this emergency to provide schools with Wi-Fi hotspots to loan out to students who lack reliable internet access at home. It has the authority to do so under the Telecommunications Act. This law, now more than two decades old, directed the agency to set up a program to support internet service in schools across the country, through a program known as E-Rate. Today, E-Rate funds broadband for educational purposes in every state. In fact, it is our nation’s largest education technology program. Under the law, support for internet service is available for “educational purposes” to enhance, to the extent technically feasible and economically reasonable, school classrooms. With schools closing and learning migrating online, this is the right moment to adjust FCC rules to expand how we think about internet access and the traditional classroom. Moreover, there is already support for doing so from major program beneficiaries, like schools and teachers. Furthermore, the E-Rate program offers support on a sliding scale. More is available for schools with higher percentages of students receiving lunch at free or reduced cost. That means the schools receiving the greatest E-Rate support are most likely to be ones with students who lack access to broadband at home. Alternatively, Congress may wish to step in and support this kind of initiative in upcoming efforts to address the coronavirus crisis. There are already homework gap-focused bills in both chambers of Congress, including legislation introduced by SenChris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep Grace Meng (D-NY). These efforts could include legislation to expand student access to devices, too.