tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13751054.post7992735255652685489..comments2023-06-08T11:58:31.030-04:00Comments on On-Tech E-Rate Musings: Modernizing the FactsOn-Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13423450823765892451noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13751054.post-36390130588759820842014-08-15T15:13:57.279-04:002014-08-15T15:13:57.279-04:00As the CIO for a school district here in Colorado,...As the CIO for a school district here in Colorado, and, being a floor funded school district in Colorado (well below the national average per student funding), we heavily rely on the E-rate program to provide necessary, basic services such as voice for all of our schools. With the proposed changes in E-rate by the FCC, we look at having to find approximately $200,000.00 to fill in for the shortfall that E-rate program will no longer provide for. I agree that there needs to be more to provide more broadband to schools but, being part of a county local broadband planning committee, I don't feel that E-rate is going to cut it unless something is done to get the services into under-served rural areas where broadband services are near to non-existent. WiFi is great and all but if there is no broadband services in the local areas to tap into, WiFi is just a thing that won't do much. To bring broadband services into an area, there needs to be competition. The funds that were used by the FCC to subsidize monopolized CLEC organizations to provide services to under-served rural areas didn't do much to increase broadband capabilities. Conduits for high speed broadband in and out of communities to provide redundant, reliable, and affordable broadband services are still way behind. I don't feel that changes to modernize E-rate is going to help much unless something is done to get the infrastructure into the communities in place first.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00889197861186286074noreply@blogger.com