Education technology

The Federal Communications Commission granted a petition for reconsideration filed by Maurine and Matthew Molak and found that the best reading of section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, (the Communications Act) is that it does not permit funding of off-premises use of Wi-Fi hotspots and the associated wireless Internet services with E-Rate program support. In so finding, the FCC rescinded the rules adopted in July 2024.

In this Declaratory Ruling, the Federal Communications Commission takes the opportunity to better align E-Rate eligibility with section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act), and clarify that the provision of Wi-Fi, or other similar access point technologies, including the equipment needed to provide such service, on school buses is ineligible for E-Rate funding.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said, "Today’s decision corrects course. It restores the FCC’s commitment to following the law as written and respecting the intent of Congress. Section 254 of the Communications Act is clear: E-Rate funding is meant to enhance access to telecommunications services in classrooms and libraries. A school bus is neither. We cannot simply reinterpret “classrooms” to mean any place where learning might occur. That’s not how statutory interpretation works, and it’s not how responsible policymaking should work either."

Reports on Artificial Intelligence usage in K-12 tend to focus on strategies to leverage AI for teaching and learning, students’ and teachers’ academic readiness to effectively use AI, or the challenges AI poses in evaluating students’ homework. Based on survey responses from 281 CoSN members, this report addresses AI use in operational areas of education such as HR, finance, facilities, and transportation. The short, 15-question survey was conducted from June 19 to July 18, 2025.

To preserve E-Rate’s legacy while adapting to today’s challenges, SETDA and CoSN respectfully recommend Congress and the USF Working Group to:

Millions of students and seniors depend on hotspots and school bus Wi-Fi for homework and tele-health services. Now the FCC is moving to strip that connectivity away while doing nothing to make broadband more affordable. Their latest proposals will only widen the gap between those with access to modern-day tools and those left behind. We must all fight back against this level of cruelty and indifference by this Administration.

A last-minute decision to withhold critical education funding has left states and districts scrambling just weeks before students return to school. On Monday, June 30, the U.S. Department of Education notified states that it was withholding over $6 billion in previously approved federal education grants.

The push to prepare kids for the AI future is raising tricky ethical questions about how to bring the technology into the classroom. Early research shows that AI has a lot to offer for schooling. A 2023 study found the technology can provide students with more tailored instruction and feedback, and the United Nations suggested in 2021 that AI chatbots could be a 24/7 personalized educational resource for students when teachers are off the clock. At the same time, evidence is emerging that AI could wreak havoc on a young person’s mental health.

Sal Khan tightly controls his children’s screen time and their access to social media, but the founder and chief executive of the Khan Academy, an online education organisation, is a big believer in the power of the digital world and artificial intelligence to help students get ahead. Like many executives in Silicon Valley, he is well aware of the dangers of technology and how far apps have been designed to drive usage and harvest personal information.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that there is sufficient funding available to fully meet the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) estimated demand for category one and category two requests for E-Rate-supported services for funding year 2025. On March 27, 2025, USAC submitted a demand estimate for the E-Rate program for funding year 2025.  USAC estimates the total demand for funding year 2025 will be $3.225 billion, which includes estimated demand for category one services of $1.806 billion, and of $1.418 billion for catego