Markey, House author of original E-Rate Program, Introduces Update

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), former chairman and current senior member of the Energy and Commerce Communications, Technology and the Internet Subcommittee, today introduced H.R. 4619, the E-Rate 2.0 Act, to update the successful E-Rate program.

Rep. Markey was the lead House author of the original E-Rate program (or “Education Rate”), which was created as a part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) are original co-sponsors of the legislation introduced today.

 
“This critical bill will help narrow the digital divide by increasing the range of the latest telecommunication services and devices accessible to low-income students, including residential broadband services and e-books incorporated into students’ classroom lessons,” said Markey. “The original E-Rate Bill that I authored has largely fulfilled its mission of linking up schools to the Web. The fact that only 14 percent of K-12 classrooms had Internet access at the time the 1996 bill was enacted, compared to more than 95 percent today, is a testament to that success. Now, with the expansion of the scope of technology, students need more than just Web access at school, and our E-Rate 2.0 bill is intended to reflect those expanded needs.”

 
H.R. 4619, the E-Rate 2.0 Act, directs the FCC to implement three pilot programs:
 
•           The first pilot program narrows the digital divide through the distribution of vouchers to enable low-income students to purchase residential broadband service.

•           The second utilizes a competitive grant program to extend funding for broadband equipment and services to selected community colleges and head start facilities that best demonstrate need and incorporation of broadband use in their educational mission

•           The third enables certain E-Rate applicants serving particularly low-income students to apply for significantly discounted services and technologies for the use of e-books

 
The bill also would provide for an inflation adjustment to the current $2.25 billion cap on the E-Rate program, so funding would increase with inflation.  The bill also calls for the streamlining of the application process.

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