The Federal Communications Commission voted in favor of a federal program that would make Wi-Fi available in schools and libraries.
The program, called the Universal Service Fund, was approved in a 3-2 vote along party lines, and will be funded $1 billion a year to bring Wi-Fi to schools for the next five years, according to The Verge. A portion of the money will be given to E-Rate, a system with the goal of bringing Internet access to schools and libraries.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler proposed the program as a way to bring phone and Internet access to rural and low-income Americans. Wheeler received opposition from FCC conservative commissioners Ajit Pain and Michael O'Reilly, with Pai saying the proposal didn't clarify how it would raise money after the first two years. Wheeler received support from Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, but Clyburn suggested the agency should continue to develop the program.
Wheeler said the program would increase the number of children who have access to the Internet by millions, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"Technology has changed, the needs of students and library users have changed, and now E-Rate has changed," Wheeler said. "No responsible business would stick with an IT plan developed in 1998."
Clyburn suggested for changes to be made to the program so that access to more funding would be available to schools and libraries in higher poverty areas.
"For me and so many others, broadband is the greatest equalizer of our times," she said.
O'Reilly argued that the changes to the program would result in fewer funds and more phone bills that consumers would need to pay later this year, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"This will either lead to a funding cliff for schools and libraries, or higher phone bills for consumers," he said.
The proposal comes as President Barack Obama launches the ConnectED program, which looks to make sure all schools have 100Mbps connections by 2017, The Verge reported. Wheeler promises the program will bring 75 percent more Wi-Fi funding to rural schools and 60 percent to urban schools.
