Dem Lawmakers Urge FCC to Protect School Bus Wi-Fi Subsidies
30th September 2025
Democrats in Congress are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to protect subsidies that help reduce the cost of Wi-Fi on school buses.
In a letter led by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., the lawmakers argue against FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who said in a press release last month that the commission should end expansion of the E-Rate program, which provides discounts on Wi-Fi on buses and hot spots on school campuses.
“Rolling back the E-Rate hotspot and school bus decisions would undercut some of the most effective tools for addressing inequities in home connectivity and would reverse progress in closing the ‘Homework Gap.’ For millions of students, especially those from low-income households, internet access outside of school walls is not a luxury but a prerequisite for academic success,” reads the letter, which was signed by Sens. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Peter Welch of Vermont, and Rep. Grace Meng of New York, all Democrats.
Holding out for the Really Important Stuff.