Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday took a first step toward allowing schools to use a federal funding program to help students connect to the internet at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: Schoolwork has gone remote because of the pandemic, but the FCC funding that schools receive for internet connections doesn't extend beyond the physical classrooms.
Details: The commission on Monday said it would seek comment on several requests to use the $4 billion E-rate program to support remote learning during the pandemic.
- Acting chair Jessica Rosenworcel, who began leading the agency in January, has called for the FCC to update the program in light of the pandemic.
- The Biden administration issued an executive order encouraging the FCC to "increase connectivity options for students lacking reliable home broadband" as part of its COVID-19 response plan.
- The Colorado attorney general and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition are among the players that have pressed the agency to change the program during the pandemic.
What they're saying: "Kids shouldn’t have to do homework in parking lots because that’s the only place they can get online," Rosenworcel said in a statement.
- "We can do better. We can close the homework gap. Today’s action is the first step in a process to hear about the emergency relief communities are seeking and to chart a path forward for the FCC to help solve this crisis.”
Between the lines: During the Trump administration, the Republican-run commission said the law requires the funding be used in classrooms and couldn't be expanded to students' homes.
- The FCC is currently deadlocked at 2-2, but Rosenworcel could have some leeway to make program changes without a full commission vote.