Introduction Of The E-Rate 2.0 Act

Floor Speech

Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the E-Rate 2.0 Act, an important advancement in the effort to update the successful E-Rate program for the 21st century. I am pleased to introduce this bill with my colleagues Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) and Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA).

While the U.S. lags behind other countries in several key broadband categories such as adoption rates, there is one area where our country leads: Internet connections to classrooms. Our leadership position in this important area can be traced back to the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which created the education rate--or ``E-Rate''--program. I was proud to be the lead author in the House of the legislation creating the E-Rate program. At the time the 1996 bill was enacted, only 14 percent of K-12 classrooms had Internet access, compared with more than 95 percent today.

Over the past 14 years, the E-Rate program has helped schools around the country connect to the Internet and other telecommunications services, enabling students to access a vast universe of educational information, communicate with other students around the world, and capitalize on opportunities that otherwise would be out of reach.

With the E-Rate's mission of connecting classrooms to the Internet largely fulfilled, now is the time for an updated E-Rate program--an ``E-Rate 2.0''--to move the program into the 21st century. I have introduced the E-Rate 2.0 Act, which directs the FCC to implement three vital 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 to improve the ease and accessibility of the application process.

As the scope of technology has expanded, the E-Rate program needs to keep pace. I am pleased to introduce the E-Rate 2.0 program today and look forward to its consideration in the future.

I urge my colleagues to join in cosponsoring this legislation.

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