$2 billion school Wi-Fi plan gets approval from FCC

The FCC has approved a new $2 billion fund that will help schools build school-wide Wi-Fi networks.

"Because of what we do today, 10 million kids will be connected next year who otherwise wouldn't. That's something to be proud of," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said.

The funds are guaranteed for the next two years with the "assumption" that funding for the networks will be in place in the future. No guarantees, however.

FCC's Wheeler was asked why the size of the program was not expanded, in which he responded that it was not prudent to just throw money at a program that had been started in the 1990s.

"I hope that going forward we will have the courage to fix this," Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel added. "I hope going forward we will be bold. Because this is not just a matter of getting schools and libraries connected -- it's a matter of our global competitiveness."

The $2 billion will come from a combination of unused funds and administrative cost-cutting, added the FCC.

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Re/code

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 12 Jul 2014 23:40

SomeBozo

Seems like a really bad idea to me. Just makes it so students will be texting, chatting all the while they should be paying attention to get an education. Sure for computer classes i could see the need but school-wide networks, bah... But then again it give big brother and excellent way to monitor all communication by the students.

13.7.2014 12:04 #1

DXR88

Really....Schools in the US are using Severely Outdated Tomes of Higher Knowledge, teachers are forced to fork out there cash for classroom necessities like pencil sharpeners and blackboard erasers.

Somehow we can blow 2 Billion dollars on WiFi, God Help America....the time for blessing has come and gone.

15.7.2014 05:46 #2

AfterDawn: News