Mission Telecom Offers E-Rate Pricing to Help Students and Library Patrons

"Mission Telecom, a nonprofit telecommunications provider, has stepped in to help schools and libraries after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eliminated the use of E-Rate funding for hotspots and school bus connectivity. The organization said that it "[is honoring] the post-discount applicant share of cost on Form 471, not the quote cost from the provider." Schools and libraries can apply for the Mission Telecom program by providing a copy of their E-Rate documents and completing a signup form."

""Communities still rely on these tools to keep students and library patrons connected. That's why Mission Telecom is stepping up to help schools and libraries worried about maintaining this critical connectivity with tight budgets," said Mission Telecom Director of Broadband Operations Mark Colwell. "By matching their subsidized E-Rate costs, we are helping provide affordable, reliable broadband so that every student and lifelong learner can stay connected.""

"At the end of last month,the FCC took two steps to limit Wi-Fi access for students on school buses and library patrons. The first was a Declaratory Ruling that funding from the Schools and Libraries Program - commonly referred to as E-Rate - is impermissible. The second was an Order on Reconsideration that reversed a Biden-era move to fund Wi-Fi hotspots that can be used outside libraries and schools."

Mission Telecom, a nonprofit telecommunications provider, is offering a program to help schools and libraries maintain mobile hotspot and school bus Wi-Fi connectivity after the FCC eliminated E-Rate funding for those services. The organization honors the post-discount applicant share of cost on Form 471 rather than provider quotes. Schools and libraries apply by submitting E-Rate documents and a signup form. The program covers devices without long-term contracts, activation fees, or termination fees, and guarantees E-Rate-level pricing through June 30, 2026. Mission Telecom intends the offer as an immediate solution for the current school year and aims to keep pricing affordable thereafter.

Read at Telecompetitor