U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently issued a statement in reaction to the Federal Communications Commission voting to modernize the E-Rate Program and make strides toward expanding Internet access to schools and students across the country. According to the FCC, the reform will expand Wi-Fi to more than 10 million students in 2015 alone.

As described by the US Secretary,

Today’s action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to update the E-Rate program is an important milestone on the path toward realizing President Obama’s ConnectED initiative.  Because of this vote, an additional $2 billion will be made available to provide 20 million more students with high-speed Wi-Fi in their classrooms and libraries over the next two years.  We commend the FCC on this key vote and for its continued commitment to increasing vital school and library Internet connectivity, which we believe will help more students get a great education, train them for the jobs of the future, and continue to build a more competitive U.S. economy.

For more information about the E-Rate program, see this fact sheet.