E-Rate Revisions Seen as Good First Step

But Ed-Tech Advocates Still Want More Program Funding

It's a good start.

That seems to be the general feeling among educational technology advocates about the recent reforms to the federal E-rate program, whether they are applauding a new funding index for inflation, the allowance for "dark fiber" connections, or the funding of pilot wireless-learning programs.

While the revisions that were adopted to the $2.25 billion program at the Federal Communications Commission's Sept. 23 meeting generally have been welcomed, experts say there is still work to do before the program—set up in 1997 to fund discounts for schools and libraries to connect to the Internet—can address...