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The US FCC chairman wants to stop government subsidies for WiFi in school buses

The Federal Communications Commission chair proposed Wednesday to end subsidies for wireless technology on school buses, which were originally created as part of a COVID program.

FCC chair Brendan Carr requested that the commission reverse policies implemented under former-President Joe Biden, allowing subsidies for WiFi on school buses as well as for wireless hotspots which could be borrowed from libraries to access online. Carr stated that the proposal would "end the FCC funding unsupervised screentime for young children."

Carr also said that the FCC "failed to prove that these funding decisions will advance legitimate classroom or libraries purposes."

In May, the U.S. Senate voted to repeal FCC subsidies for hot spots and internet on school buses. Ted Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said that the rule does not require schools obtain parental consent prior to distributing hotspots subsidized by FCC or set meaningful filtering requirements. The House hasn't taken up the measure.

Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC chairperson at the time, said that by approving this program schoolchildren would be able to complete their homework on bus rides.

She said that in rural areas, children spend up to an hour on the bus getting to and from sports events or school. Children without internet access at home also struggle to complete their nightly homework. Rosenworcel stated that the idea was "smart, creative and in line with the law." (Reporting and editing by Nick Zieminski, Les Adler and David Shepardson)

(source: Reuters)