URGENT: Tell the FCC: Wi-Fi in School Buses is Not Safe For Kids
The FCC is proposing expanding the e-rate program to fund Wi-Fi on school buses.
October 12 is the deadline to submit comments regarding FCC funding for Wi-Fi on school buses and wireless in schools
Take Action:
- Submit a brief comment or submit PDF documents in Docket 13-184
Key issues to comment on:
- Whether FCC should expand E-Rate eligibility to provide funding for Wi-Fi on school buses (see draft declaratory ruling)
- Whether FCC should continue to allow E- Rate funding to be used for fixed wireless and satellite connectivity to schools and libraries, and Wi-Fi in schools
Why is this important:
If this moves forward E-rate funding will be used for installing Wi-Fi on school buses. This will increase wireless radiation exposure to children across the United States.
Many communities use the same buses for transporting kindergarteners, middle and high school students. Now they will have transmitting wireless antennas exposing vulnerable children whether children are using devices or not.
Wireless radiation is not safe for children. A growing base of scientific research studies link wireless radiation to serious health effects on health—such as memory and sleep problems, headaches, cancer, and damage to brain development. The FCC should not be moving forward with anything that promotes wireless expansion when it has not responded to the court mandate in EHT et al. v the FCC.
- Read the research here Published Science on Wireless Radiation and Children’s Health – Healthy Tech at Home Project
- Read what medical associations state here Medical Associations on Wireless Radiation
- Download and send the FCC the Santa Clara Medical Association Recommendations here.
In addition, will this help students learn? Allowing school bus Wi-Fi as eligible for funds takes monies away for other educational uses.
Background: FCC manages the E- Rate program, which provides funding to schools and libraries for telecommunications and information services, using funds from the Universal Service Fund. Since the program began in 1998, E-Rate has disbursed over $45 billion for connectivity at schools and libraries (see Table 4.2). Each year, the FCC is required to seek comment and then publish a list of services eligible for E-Rate funding. The E-Rate Eligible Services list for prior years has included eligibility for funding fixed wireless and satellite connectivity to schools and libraries, and for Wi-Fi within these buildings.
Administrative proceedings: FCC seeks comment, deadline October 12, on the list of eligible expenses for the upcoming fiscal year 2024. FCC Chair Rosenworcel proposed the expansion of Wi-Fi to school buses last year, but the Commission did not act on this (see paragraph 7), presumably because it was deadlocked 2-2. Since Anna Gomez was sworn in last month as fifth Commissioner, the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation wrote to her opposing the expansion, calling it a “Plan to Subsidize TikTok on School Buses.” The FCC plans to consider this expansion when it meets on October 19.
