Earlier this summer, President Obama proposed an aggressive initiative called ConnectED to connect 99 percent of America’s students to the internet through high-speed broadband and high-speed wireless within five years.
“We are living in a digital age, and to help our students get ahead, we must make sure they have access to cutting-edge technology,” said President Obama as he called upon families, businesses, school districts and the federal government to rally in support of his proposal.
A White House press release cited that millions of students lack high-speed broadband access and that less than 20 percent of educators say they have adequate access to high-speed Internet in their schools.
Labeled by Obama’s senior advisers as one of the biggest potential achievements of his second term, ConnectED does not require Congressional action. To meet his goal, Obama is calling on the FCC to modernize and leverage its existing E-Rate program and the federal government to make better use of existing funds.
But according to the Washington Post, the initiative would cost billions of dollars, and Obama wants to pay for it by raising fees for mobile phone users—a move requiring the approval of the FCC.
Republicans vow to oppose any idea that raises costs for consumers, and others believe the proposal belongs squarely under the jurisdiction of Congress.
“Most consumers would balk at higher costs, higher phone bills, and I sure hope that this is not part of the equation that ultimately comes out,” said Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “If they pursue that course, there’s going to be pushback, absolutely.”
The FCC has taken initial steps in weighing the proposal, and it could take as long as a year before it reaches a decision. If the proposal gains momentum, Republicans are prepared to hold congressional hearings and to pressure the commission to oppose it.
“Using the FCC as a way to get around Congress to spend money that Congress doesn’t have the political will to spend — I think that’s very scary,” said Harold Furchtgott-Roth, a Republican former FCC commissioner. “Constitutionally, it’s Congress that decides how federal funds should be spent.”
Republican Ajit Pai, one of the FCC’s sitting commissioners, has also expressed opposition to increasing fees, noting that FCC programs that charge consumers to pay to wire schools and libraries have been plagued by a wide range of problems and inefficiencies. “We shouldn’t force schools to skew their spending decisions in order to help us meet an arbitrary national target,” he said.
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[Sources: The White House, Washington Post]