Chair of the F.C.C. will propose additional funds for internetconnections for schools and libraries

Beyond the not-exactly-additional-funding* we heard about from Mr. Walton at our last F&O meeting, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission Tom Wheeler plans to propose additional funds specifically for internet connections through Erate: 

Mr. Wheeler will propose that the annual cap on spending for school Internet needs be raised by $1.5 billion, to $3.9 billion, according to an F.C.C. official who spoke on condition of anonymity but was authorized to release details of the proposal. The initiative is part of a continuing overhaul of the Universal Service Fund and its educational component, known as E-Rate. 

The proposal will be voted on December 11.

*because, as Mr. Walton explained, the fed didn't fund any internal connections for last year or the year before. So it's more like money they didn't spend.