ALA responded with disappointment to a September 3 announcement by the current Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr that proposed reversing the FCC’s 2024 decision to authorize E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hotspots checked out by public library patrons for internet access at home. ALA President Sam Helmick said, ‘ALA has advocated for the FCC’s new hotspot program because we know our communities need them. Students, adult learners, jobseekers, seniors, and rural residents all need high-speed internet, even after the library closes in the evening.’ A resolution to abolish the hotspots program passed the Senate in May, but companion legislation in the House has only two sponsors.
ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Sept. 5, May 8