Senator Markey Slams FCC for Ripping Internet Access from Rural and Low-Income Students

Senator Markey is the House author of the original E-Rate program

Washington (September 30, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement following the FCC's repeal of its rule allowing schools and libraries to use their E-Rate funds to loan Wi-Fi hotspots to students and educators.

"The FCC's decision to repeal the E-Rate hotspots rule is a direct attack on our children's future," said Senator Markey. "This short-sighted move will rip Wi-Fi from the hands of students and educators who rely on library and school loan programs to get online. After the COVID-19 pandemic made clear that internet access is critical for students to succeed, the FCC's actions today will widen the digital divide and leave low-income, rural, and marginalized communities disconnected. I will continue fighting to restore this lifeline and to ensure that every child, no matter their zip code or income, can log on and learn."

On Monday, Senators Markey, Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Grace Meng (NY-06) led 47 of their colleagues in a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, decrying the FCC's effort to strip internet access from students. In February 2024, Senator Markey, Senator Van Hollen, and Representative Meng led 64 of their colleagues in a letter to then FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel supporting the Commission's proposal to expand the E-Rate program. Senator Markey is the House author of the original E-Rate program, which has invested nearly $62 billion to connect schools and libraries to the internet across the country. Massachusetts schools and libraries have received more than $895 million from the E-Rate program and another $97 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a $7 billion program that Senators Markey and Van Hollen created within the American Rescue Plan to provide devices and connectivity for students and educators at home.

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