Senate Democrats Urge FCC to Maintain School Bus Wi-Fi Subsidies Amid Proposed Cuts

Senate Democrats, led by Senator Ed Markey, have urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to maintain subsidies for Wi-Fi hotspots at schools and on school buses, emphasizing the critical role these programs play in bridging the digital divide for low-income students. These subsidies, expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported by a $48 million budget allocation in 2024, connect over 8,000 schools and libraries and provide more than 200,000 hotspot connections nationwide. The FCC Chair Brendan Carr's proposal to repeal the expansions has drawn strong criticism from Democrats who argue that the move would undermine educational equity and academic success by limiting internet access outside school walls. They also condemned the FCC for adding the repeal vote to the agenda on short notice, which they say restricted public input and transparency. Republican commissioners, including Carr, defend the repeal as a correction of an unlawful overreach beyond the legal scope of the E-Rate program under the Communications Act. The debate highlights a partisan divide over the role of federal subsidies in ensuring educational connectivity and addressing the persistent 'Homework Gap' faced by students in underserved communities.