FCC may kill $2B program that connects schools and libraries to Internet

- The FCC is reportedly considering ending the E-Rate program, a federal initiative that provides about $2 billion annually in discounts to schools and libraries for internet access and internal networking equipment. - E-Rate was created by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and is funded through fees on consumers' phone bills (the Universal Service Fund). It covers things like Wi-Fi, cabling, and broadband connections for eligible institutions. - The program is widely credited with helping close the "homework gap" by ensuring schools and libraries can offer internet access to students who lack it at home. Supporters argue it is essential for digital equity. - Critics, including some current FCC commissioners and conservative think tanks, argue the program has grown too large, suffers from waste and fraud, and that the Universal Service Fund itself is an unfair tax on consumers. There have also been legal challenges to how it is funded. - This is part of a broader push by the current FCC majority to reduce the agency's regulatory scope and cut spending on universal service programs.