Wi-Fi Advocates Seek Clarity on Proposed School Bus Ruling
Advocates of a declaratory ruling on Wi-Fi on school buses, set for an FCC commissioner vote Oct. 19 (see 2309280071), made clear their support but also raised questions in a call with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The draft proposes…
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to clarify that the use of Wi-Fi, “or other similar access point technologies, on school buses is an educational purpose and the provision of such service is therefore eligible for E-Rate funding.” Advocates “believe that providing E-rate support for internet access on school buses will provide a great benefit to students, especially those in rural areas with long commute times to and from school or those attending events away from campus, and help to narrow the Homework Gap,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 13-184. “Will equipment and services be classified as a Category 1 or Category Two expense?” the groups ask: “Will some type of user verification or authentication be required? Will the current E-rate application and follow-up processes (bidding, forms, etc.) be used? … Will there be any discounts during the summer months when buses may be seldom used? Can buses be parked and still have an active wi-fi connection?” On the call were the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, the American Library Association and the Open Technology Institute at New America.