Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re: 	Promoting Fair and Open Competitive Bidding in the E-Rate Program, WC Docket No. 21-455, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (December 14, 2021).

For more than two decades, E-Rate has been a powerhouse.  It is our nation’s largest education technology program, and it has been the force behind making sure that schools and libraries in every corner of this country have access to high-speed broadband.  But great programs do not thrive without continuous review and care.  Today’s effort is part of that care.  We begin a rulemaking to improve E-Rate by establishing a central document repository to support competitive bidding in the program.  We take this step in response to a review from the Government Accountability Office and the agency’s own Inspector General recommending that we do so.  I look forward to the record that develops.  I also look forward to continuing to take steps to strengthen this program—and expanding the good it can do.  
For their work to strengthen E-Rate for schools and libraries across the country, I want to thank Allison Baker, Philip Bonomo, Bryan Boyle, Adam Copeland, Justin Faulb, Gabriela Gross, Jesse Jachman, Sue McNeil, Kris Monteith, Ryan Palmer, Joseph Schlingbaum, Johnnay Schrieber, and Hayley Steffen of the Wireline Competition Bureau; Dan Daly, Mark Stephens, and Cara Voth of the Office of Managing Director; Valerie Hill, Richard Mallen, Linda Oliver, and Chin Yoo of the Office of General Counsel; Mark Azic, Jonathan Campbell, Octavian Carare, Alex Espinoza, Eric Ralph, Michelle Schaefer, Emily Talaga, Shane Taylor, and Margaret Wiener of the Office of Economics and Analytics; and Maura McGowan of the Office of Communications Business Opportunities.



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