Comments of the ALA to the FCC Addressing the Homework Gap through the E-Rate Program

Abstract

The American Library Association (ALA) welcomes the opportunity to comment on how libraries may leverage the strengths of the E-rate program to address still-persistent connectivity gaps through sustainable funding for Wi-Fi hotspots and other off-campus connectivity solutions. ALA is committed to promoting and improving the E-rate program, demonstrated by our ongoing advocacy with the FCC and other stakeholders and comments filed throughout the history of the program. New technologies continue to emerge, shaping modern life. With these shifts, the needs of library patrons and students evolve, as well, to rely more heavily on access to virtual and/or hybrid learning. Increasingly, library services occur outside the walls of the library building with e-books and other e-material, online author talks, virtual discussion groups, and more; therefore, internet access is essential to accessing the services libraries provide. We commend the Commission for recognizing these technology changes and taking a fresh look at how the E-rate program might best support diverse communities with these educational goals and connectivity needs. Lessons learned from the recent Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program, as well as other library lending models, can be leveraged to support this needed expansion of the E-rate program. Over the last three years, more than a thousand libraries2 provided Wi-Fi hotspots to connect patrons, including students, through more than $248 million of ECF funding. Wi-Fi hotspot lending has been an increasingly important tool for libraries to address both persistent and intermittent digital gaps in our communities.