Louisiana schools will soon be able to tap into a $2 billion pool of federal money to improve wireless connectivity on their campuses. The Federal Communications Commission approved a plan Friday to funnel the money over two years towards high-speed wi-fi in public and private schools and in libraries. It’s part of the “e-rate” funding program, and it constitutes “a win for students, a win for educators and a win for ratepayers,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said. The fund, officially the Schools and Libraries Program, pays 20 percent to 90 percent of telecommunications and Internet access costs for non-profits. The government gets the money from telecommunications providers, which gets it from consumers. The expanded program would provide an additional 1,360 Louisiana schools with discounts on contracts with wireless vendors over the next five years, beginning in 2015. Another 272 Louisiana libraries would also get discounts. Read more…
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