Alaska superintendents ask FCC not to cut school internet subsidy

Alaska school districts that reach their villages only by plane or boat would lose the discount that makes school internet affordable if the Federal Communications Commission narrows the E-Rate program, the Alaska Superintendents Association told the commission this week.

Some parts of Alaska run internet speeds nearly 30 times slower than the national average, and families in those areas often pay high rates for unstable connections.

E-Rate discounts internet and telecommunications service for eligible schools and libraries. The commission opened a top-to-bottom review of it in June, asking whether the program should continue in its current form, how children should be protected on networks it funds, and how the commission should read the Children's Internet Protection Act. The review also raises whether E-Rate eligibility should be limited, and whether reduced student screen time changes what schools need.

The superintendents answered both. On eligibility, they argued availability and affordability are separate problems: satellite service and other emerging technologies create real opportunities for some Alaska communities, but new technology does not by itself put reliable service inside a district's budget. On screen time, they wrote that cutting device use does not remove the need for a network, because state-required assessments, student information and attendance systems, and special education obligations all run on one.

"In Alaska, connectivity is not a luxury. It is infrastructure," the board wrote.

Two other Alaska organizations have filed. The Association of Alaska School Boards argued in July that the commission lacks statutory authority to end the program, and that limiting E-Rate to rural areas would strip funding from urban districts serving high-poverty students. The Alaska Telecom Association argued in August that satellite complements terrestrial networks rather than replacing them.

Initial comments are due Oct. 13, with a 30-day reply window after that.