Markey Introduces E-Rate 2.0 Bill To Bring Successful Program Into 21st Century

Press Release

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."

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