Public Interest Groups and T-Mobile Urge FCC Rejection of Wi-Fi Recon Petition

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, joined by public interest groups, and T-Mobile opposed a petition at the FCC seeking reconsideration of last month’s 3-2 order allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services (see 2407180024). They were the only filers in docket 21-31 as of Wednesday. Tuesday was the deadline for oppositions. Maurine and Matthew Molak, who sued the agency over its decision that authorized funding Wi-Fi on school buses, are seeking reconsideration (see 2408020035). The FCC should dismiss the Molak petition “as it relies on arguments that have been fully considered and rejected by the Commission within the same proceeding,” said SHLB. The Open Technology Institute at New America and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society joined SHLB. “Petitioners fail to identify any material error, omission, or reason warranting reconsideration of their arguments alleging the Commission’s lack of statutory authority,” the groups said. The petition “merely asserts its claims and does not raise any additional argument purporting that the Commission had either erred in its reasoning that the above-mentioned statutory provisions grant[ ] it legal authority, or that the Commission omitted or failed to consider certain facts or reasoning when making its determination.” Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, “a majority of students required the Internet to complete their homework every single day,” T-Mobile said. “Progress made in addressing the Homework Gap during the pandemic by local school districts that provided students with Wi-Fi hotspots is now in jeopardy, and so the Wi-Fi lending program contained in the Order is crucial to sustaining pandemic-era connectivity gains and connecting students.” The FCC order contains appropriate safeguards, T-Mobile said: “It requires applicants to maintain acceptable use policies that clearly state that off-premises use must be primarily for an educational purpose.” The Molaks, whose 16-year-old son died by suicide after he was cyberbullied, argued that the school bus ruling would give children and teenagers unsupervised social media access.