Senate overturns schools’ Wi-Fi hotspot lending support
- Ishaan Satija
- May 7
- 1 min read
Intro
Kids who don’t have steady internet at home just lost a key way to stay connected.
What Changed
The Senate voted to undo an FCC rule that let schools use federal funds to lend Wi-Fi hotspots to students. That means the loan programs that helped kids do homework or join class online will shrink or stop. Families in rural towns and low-income neighborhoods are hit first. Teachers are cutting back online assignments. Parents are back to driving kids to library parking lots or fast-food restaurants for a signal. Librarians who ran hotspot checkouts say they’re out of devices within days. Districts that used to lend hundreds of hotspots now have only a handful left. For some students, that means late work or falling behind again. For families juggling remote jobs or telehealth visits, it means fighting over limited data plans.
What to Watch Next
Watch whether states step in with emergency programs or if charities donate equipment. If Congress doesn’t replace the funding, kids in rural and low-income areas will feel the gap all next school year.
