No More Wi-Fi for School Buses

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to forge ahead with eliminating outdated regulations and streamlining processes that will make it easier and faster to enable new telecommunications and network capabilities.  The September 30, 2025, monthly meeting included several items that will help achieve those objectives, some of which were included in Citizens Against Government Waste’s comments on the FCC’s Delete, Delete, Delete proceeding.

The items adopted by the commission included a Declaratory Ruling in the Matter of Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries (WC Docket No. 13-184).  The FCC overturned an October 19, 2023, Declaratory Ruling that would have allowed E-Rate funds to be used to equip school buses with Wi-Fi hotspots.  The cost to equip a school bus with Wi-Fi hardware, licensing, and maintenance is between $2,500 and $4,000 per bus and $400 to $600 annually for mobile broadband services.

In his dissent to the October 19, 2023, Declaratory Ruling, then-Commissioner Nathan Simington said, “anyone who has ever ridden a school bus should be skeptical that any significant portion of children will sit quietly and do homework on their laptops instead of socializing with their friends on the bus and browsing social media on their phones.”

The FCC’s action to rescind the prior declaratory ruling is a win for taxpayers.  It not only saves money but also draws attention to the rising Universal Service Fund tax that funds the E-Rate program and is currently set at 38.1 percent for the fourth quarter of 2025, higher than the top federal income marginal rate of 37 percent.

The FCC’s ongoing work to reduce rules and regulations is critical to maintaining America’s global leadership in the telecommunications industry.