Media Contact: 
Paloma Perez
paloma.perez@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

ACTING CHAIRWOMAN ROSENWORCEL HAILS SIGNING OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN THAT PROVIDES $7.1 BILLION IN FUNDS FOR REMOTE LEARNING  
American Rescue Plan Creates Emergency Connectivity Fund 
To Close the Homework Gap
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WASHINGTON, March 11, 2021—FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued the following statement today after President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law.  This legislation creates a new $7.1 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to support remote learning for schools and libraries:

“The pandemic has made clear that reliable access to broadband is not a nice to have, but a need to have, especially for our students. The nation’s Homework Gap has never been more evident than in the last year with the move to remote learning.  Today’s signing of the American Rescue Plan provides the FCC with new tools to support the millions of students locked out of the digital classroom.  I look forward to implementing this program, so we can help ensure that no child is left offline.” 

Recent data suggests as many as one in three Black, Latinx, and American Indian/Alaska Native students lack high-speed internet access at home.  The American Rescue Plan creates a $7.1 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to help eligible schools and libraries purchase Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and connected devices to provide students with the broadband connections they need to complete their schoolwork and participate in the digital classroom. 

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This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).