E-rate Recommendations in National Broadband Plan
Message Posted March 16, 2010
Today the FCC released its much-anticipated National Broadband Plan, available at http://download.broadband.gov/plan/national-broadband-plan.pdf. The 376-page plan sets broad national broadband goals for government, consumers, homeland security, health care, energy, and education. The education section is 21 pages (beginning on page 223), with six pages devoted to E-rate. There are 12 E-rate recommendations (bullets below), but few specifics on how to implement each recommendation.
I believe the proposed recommendations will be seen positively by the E-rate applicant community. The biggest proposed changes will 1) allow schools to "own" or lease fiber from a non-telco if it is the most cost effective solution, 2) establish a pilot program to begin funding wireless connectivity to portable devices so students can continue online learning after school, 3) provide internal connections funding to more applicants, and 4) make broadband connectivity funding a higher priority than other services (this is very broad but could mean they discontinue funding basic phone service or make it a lower priority).
It is important to note that this plan and its recommendations will take several years to implement so I do not expect any changes to take place for at least the next two funding years (at least). The next step will be for the FCC to release a series of NPRMs (Notice of Proposed Rule Makings) over the next few months which likely will contain more detailed proposals. The public will have a long comment cycle, and reply comment cycle, to react to the proposals after the NPRMs are published in the Federal Register. After the comment periods, the FCC will review the comments and could then release FNPRMs (Further Notice of Proposed Rule Makings) to further refine their recommendations and gather comments.
As additional details are released, I will share them with the listserve. I hope you will consider submitting comments when the NPRMs are published and become actively engaged in what will be the new and improved E-rate program.
• The FCC should adopt its pending Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to remove barriers to off-hours community use of E-rate funded resources.
• The FCC should initiate a rulemaking to set goals for minimum broadband connectivity for schools and libraries and prioritize funds accordingly.
• The FCC should provide E-rate support for internal connections to more schools and libraries.
• The FCC should give schools and libraries more flexibility to purchase the lowest-cost broadband solutions.
• The FCC should initiate a rulemaking to raise the cap on funding for E-rate each year to account for inflation.
• The FCC should initiate a rulemaking to streamline the E-rate application process.
• The FCC should collect and publish more specific, quantifiable and standardized data about applicants use of E-rate funds.
• The FCC should work to make overall broadband-related expenses more cost-efficient within the E-rate program.
• Congress should consider amending the Communications Act to help Tribal libraries overcome barriers to E-rate eligibility arising from state laws.
• The FCC should initiate a rulemaking to fund wireless connectivity to portable learning devices. Students and educators should be allowed to take these devices off campus so they can continue learning outside school hours.
• The FCC should award some E-rate funds competitively to programs that best incorporate broadband connectivity into the educational experience.
• Congress should consider providing additional public funds to connect all public community colleges with high-speed broadband and maintain that connectivity.
-Julie
717-730-7133 - o
717-730-9060 - f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org
Penn*link
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