EDWARD J. MARKEY 
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The Honorable Tom Wheeler 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th St. SW 
Washington, DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
July 2, 2014 
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TheE-Rate has proved exceptional and essential in linking up schools and libraries to the 
Internet. As the House author of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a law that established the 
E-Rate, I am proud that theE-Rate has ensured that schools and libraries provide Internet access, 
so that students and citizens from working-class neighborhoods can connect just like those from 
more affluent communities. It's the only technology that has been deployed as fast in poor 
neighborhoods as it has in rich ones. But now, with technology expanding into nearly every 
facet of our lives, we need to ensure all Americans - whether urban or rural, rich or poor -­
remain connected and competitive in this global economy. I therefore commend you for 
addressing how this already successful program can more efficiently and effectively provide 
advanced Internet access for all students, teachers, library users, and librarians in Massachusetts 
and around the country. 
As you work on updating the program to keep pace with modern technology, I hope you will 
focus on the special needs of all those who are disadvantaged in our age of increasing inequality. 
Schools and libraries provide the only free public Internet access in many locations. This service 
is especially important to people who lack broadband at home, or need assistance in using the 
Internet. These groups disproportionately include low-income users, recent immigrants, and 
people with disabilities- many of whom disproportionately live in urban and rural areas. 
Moreover, urban and rural areas often face relatively high costs of providing Internet access. 
Need and cost, then, lead to the conclusion that the Commission should consider these particular 
requirements when assessing how to allocateE-Rate funding for urban and rural schools and 
libraries. 
As you know, wireless bandwidth is not just a function of the size of any particular classroom or 
library workspace. In fact, small, cramped, crowded buildings often require more spending for 
wireless connectivity per square foot than uncrowded buildings. Therefore, a single flat rate of 
E-Rate funding per square foot - reportedly under consideration by the Commission - might well 
not lead to adequate wireless connectivity in urban and rural buildings. Instead, the Commission 
should consider a wide range of factors including the number of users, connection from wireless 
in other buildings, architectural impediments, inside cabling, and the speed of access to the 
buildings. 
I look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure that theE-Rate remains strong for 
generations to come, just as Congress intended when we put theE-Rate into law almost two 
decades ago. 
Sincerely, 
~y~· 
United States Senate