Before the government shutdown, the Federal Communications Commission voted to end funding for Wi-Fi on school buses and the lending of hotspot devices from libraries. Nicol Turner Lee, author of “Digitally Invisible,” says this could further the digital divide for marginalized communities.
The Federal Communications Commission has ended a Biden-era program that subsidized Wi-Fi on school buses and allowed library’s to lend out hotspot devices.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr said those initiatives were unlawful because they went beyond what Congress had authorized his agency to subsidize. Now, those funds are permenantly rescinded. (And to be clear, this is not related to the shutdown.)
Nicol Turner Lee, author of the book “Digitally Invisible,” told Marketplace’s Nova Safo that the change could hurt low-income and rural communities.
“FCC moves to end discounts for Wi-Fi hotspot lending and school bus connectivity” from Associated Press
“With the internet now a necessity, the digital underclass is still in need” from Marketplace Tech
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