FCC Internet Grant Decision Riles Congress

museumpeace writes "The FCC, with no advance notice to congress, effectively made substantial cuts in the funding for the program that subsidizes provision of internet connection to libraries and poorer school systems. This was not small potatoes: 2.5 billion buys a lot of connection. [confess your real identity to them and the ] NYTimes will tell you all about the uproar. The ostensible cause according to FCC officials, who annoyed congressfolk by dodging the inquiry, was an attemp to control possible fraudulent spending in the program but FCC actions then went far beyond fiscal oversight. FCC deference to phone companies by way of reducing the amount they were required to contribute to the program has compounded its financial woes according to Technology Review which also covered the story. [and which will also require a "free" registration]"

Comments

Tit for Tat

[grunt107]

Since the FCC is worried about government overspending, they should be rewarded with an equal amount of reduction in funding for them.

The reduction can be used to then pay for the libraries (and underprivileged) to get internet access.

Re:E-Rate was a mess

[ortcutt]

Actually you better ask for Cheney. Otherwise, Bush is going to mess up the big words when he has to relay the message to him.