The FCC voted in July to allow schools and libraries to use federal money to loan out WiFi hotspots to students and patrons. The decision is in part a reaction to the expiration of federal subsidy program that one-in-six families in the U.S. used to afford internet. The money for the hotspots will come from an existing program administered by the FCC called E-Rate. Since 2022, more than 12,500 libraries and 106,000 schools have received help from E-Rate to afford internet-related products. However, political disagreements and legal threats could thwart future funding for E-Rate, as well as a host of other FCC programs aiming to achieve universal connectivity.
