Washington, D.C. (September 24, 2025) – The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, joined by the American Library Association (ALA), EdLiNC, and the Homework Gap Coalition, called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to preserve school bus Wi-Fi and hotspot lending under the E-Rate program. The urgent appeal comes as the FCC scheduled a vote for Tuesday that could eliminate both programs.
The FCC’s proposed action would reverse its 2023 ruling clarifying that Wi-Fi on school buses is an educational purpose eligible for E-Rate funding and its 2024 order establishing hotspot lending programs for schools and libraries. Together, these initiatives provide connectivity to millions of students and library patrons who lack reliable internet access at home.
“Eliminating these programs would roll back hard-won progress in closing the Homework Gap,” said Executive Director of the SHLB Coalition, Joseph Wender. “Students who rely on long bus rides to complete assignments and library patrons who depend on hotspots for work, education, or telehealth would suddenly lose access to essential tools. This is not the time to cut rural and low-income communities off from broadband.”
“Lack of access to home broadband is a daily problem for students trying to succeed in school, people looking for jobs, rural residents relying on telehealth, and for Americans without digital skills to file their taxes and set up online banking. Policymakers should welcome the eagerness of local libraries and schools to be part of the solution,” said ALA President Sam Helmick. “Chairman Carr's move to repeal the programs next week looks like one more tactic of this administration to limit Americans’ access to information.”
“These programs — the School Bus Wi-Fi Program and Hotspot Lending Program — ensure that learning continues beyond the school day by providing anytime, anywhere broadband access,” said EdLiNC Co-Chairs Jon Bernstein and Noelle Ellerson. EdLiNC was proud to support these common sense flexibilities since their announcement, and we call on the FCC to preserve the important work they do to bolster student connectivity and help close the homework gap.”
The coalition emphasized that:
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School Bus Wi-Fi enables students, particularly in rural areas with long commutes, to use travel time for coursework. In New Mexico, Farmington Municipal Schools equipped its 90 buses with Wi-Fi, serving over 6,500 students daily. Parents report that children return home with homework already completed.
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Hotspot Lending Programs have proven indispensable for families, small businesses, and veterans. In Appalachian Ohio, the Brown County Public Library’s hotspot program has allowed homeschool families to join virtual classes, entrepreneurs to run mobile businesses, and veterans to participate in telehealth appointments and certification testing.
The coalition also warned that abruptly ending these programs could leave schools and libraries financially stranded after they already signed contracts and made plans based on existing E-Rate rules for FY 2024 and FY 2025.
SHLB and its partners are urging the FCC to:
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Protect existing commitments for FY 2024 and FY 2025 so schools and libraries are not left scrambling to fill funding gaps.
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Delay any potential program changes until FY 2026, giving applicants fair notice
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Following a formal rulemaking process, allowing stakeholders ample time to comment on the impact of these proposed changes,
“Congress directed the FCC to ensure that universal service is ‘predictable.’ Abruptly ending these programs not only harms students and communities but also undermines trust in the E-Rate program itself,” Wender added.
The coalition’s full letter to the FCC is available here.
Media Availability
SHLB’s executive director Joey Wender is available for interviews. For more information, visit www.shlb.org or follow @SHLBcoalition on LinkedIn, Facebook, or X.
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About SHLB: The SHLB Coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-quality broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, D.C., and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.
About ALA: The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For nearly 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.
About EdLiNC: The Education and Libraries Networks Coalition (EdLiNC), formed in 1995 to pass and implement the E-Rate program, represents many of the major K-12 public and private education associations and the American Library Association. EdLiNC has participated in every major regulatory proceeding involving E-Rate, most recently successfully spearheading efforts to modernize the program and raise its annual spending cap. www.edlinc.org.
About the Homework Gap Coalition: The Homework Gap Coalition is a group of over 60 education and technology organizations that advocate for policy changes to eliminate the "homework gap," which is the inability for students to complete schoolwork at home due to a lack of reliable internet access and adequate technology.
