Ted Cruz Proudly Makes Broadband Shittier And Homework Harder For U.S. School Kids
from the making-life-harder-on-children dept
Last year the Biden FCC passed a new rule providing portable Wi-Fi hotspots to school kids who struggle to do their homework online. More specifically, the rule allowed schools to leverage the FCC’s E-Rate program funds to pay for mobile hotspots in things like busses, making it easier for kids who lack broadband (or can’t afford broadband) to get online. The E-Rate budget was not increased.
Enter the Taco-Bell-fart-in-a-suit known as Ted Cruz, who last January introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) to kill the effort. Why? The effort upset companies like AT&T, which would obviously prefer it if the poor, rural families’ in question had to pay them for an expensive and unreliable rural wireless line. The CRA can be used to reverse rulings done within a set amount of time (usually 6 months).
So this week, that program quietly took another step toward destruction thanks to Ted Cruz’s idiotic efforts and the Republican-controlled Senate:
“The Senate approved a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to nullify the hotspot rule, which was issued by the Federal Communications Commission in July 2024 under then-Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The program would be eliminated if the House version passes and President Trump signs the joint resolution of disapproval.”
This sort of thing (helping kids with shitty home broadband do their homework) used to not be partisan, and it’s another example of how radical the modern GOP has become. And how our broken media has normalized that radicalization in really harmful ways.
Again, the destruction of this program comes at the direct request of telecom giants which didn’t like government access eroding their wireless revenues. But the sort of ignorant justifications the GOP threw out to justify the vote were just utterly unhinged gibberish.
Cruz’s original press release announcing his plan teeters in and out of typical far right nonsense, including completely false claims that this free hotspot program somehow “censored kids’ exposure to conservative viewpoints.” Again, just complete nonsense by absolute weirdos, and part of a much broader effort to make sure U.S. broadband remains shitty and expensive to the benefit of big telecom.
Filed Under: broadband, education, fcc, hotspots, ted cruz, telecom, wifi, wireless
Comments on “Ted Cruz Proudly Makes Broadband Shittier And Homework Harder For U.S. School Kids”
Cruz is the poster child for bought politician.
I do not like that man Ted Cruz.
I do not like his broadband views.
I do not like his smarmy grin.
I do not like his double chin.
I do not like his border walls.
That man Ted Cruz can suck my balls.
Re:
Dr. Cruz?
This is delusional. You’re going back to what? Eisenhower to make this sort of claim? The GOP has been the party of “fuck you, got mine” for half a century.
Re:
Fair and equal internet access was common in the 1990s, because it was dial-up over regulated phone lines and major areas always had ISP competition—often including a FreeNet that would allow several hours of use per day without cost. That main advantages the rich had over the poor were that they could more easily afford a computer, and that they could dedicate a phone line to it.
(Not being rich, I had to negotiate with the family for an hour or a few of access at a time. But it wasn’t till a decade later that teachers started expecting students to have computers and internet access.)
The access regulation continued with DSL until around 2005, at which time the FCC did away with them. Kind of—regulations still require CLECs be allowed to attach equipment directly to phone lines (if they still exist) under regulated conditions, inside a central office; but, lacking the ability to install remote equipment meant they could only realistically serve people within half a mile of that office, and so most have gone out of business.
One of the reasons I love this place.
You’re consistent in having exactly the most deserving people to criticize. The political leanings of this particular publication are ones I have a strong tendency to agree with. Relentlessly critical of the police, politicians etc. Keep on speaking power and holding truth to account, you’re a voice of reason in a time in which the press has often been pacified into stenography by the fear of losing access to the politicians they cover.
Current “partisan” issues:
Is consent needed?
Forced Birth
Child Labor
Constitution
Democracy and the power to vote
Scams, fraud, and all business to consumer crimes
Health
The short of it is that republicans HATE america and only view people who are not their friends or sugar daddies as people to work to death for more profit.
Interesting you called current GOP radical. Radical has a latin origin that means root. When you say someone is radical in a determined subject it means that person follows the mos basic, root ideas concerning said subject.
It’s not inherently bad. Concerning the left, which is where I stand, one may be radical about ensuring people have minimum living standards, nutrition, access to education and so on. Or if you are from the right you can be radical about giving people the right to own their stuff and have their own businesses. Those are not inherently bad.
As long as I can remember following US politics the GOP has been acting like this and criticized for it. And maybe… That’s what they are in their core. Just evil pricks that just disguised their intentions in a democratic veil. In fact they couldn’t care less about the people, about social welfare.
Re: Fact is
They would love to revert the Constitution back to about 1939.
Before the labor ;awa and equality laws
This is just another example of the Republican party holding down those that were not smart enough to be born into wealth, denying them the chance for a decent education. A population without critical thinking skills tends to skew right politically given the attraction of a “strong” leader who can convince them to throw away democracy because only the Dear Leader has the answers they seek.
Oh, and fuck that shit-gibbon Raphael Cruz.
Just a Question.
I WONDER who assisted the Telephone system GET INSTALLED Between cities.
WHO HELPPED PAY for installing most of the Lines UNDERGROUND??
HOW Much was that??
since they want to be INDEPENDANDANT of Gov. Supply of willing Dollars, Cut it off and ASK for the OLD LOANS BACK AND PAID. NOT that little Fee added to everyone’s Bill.
Direct out of their Pockets.
Damnit, i thought the CRA meant you could review your Congresscritters within 6 months andthrow themin the trash when they suck. Oh well.
Should probably have one of those, though.
Well then
Let the Gov. Ask the telephone corps for all the Money Loaned to them returned. The Gov. paid for Much of the work between the cities, esp after WWI. The USA wasnt fully interconnected, and Many small companies all over the place.
The ultra-rich do not want the American working class to get an education, they want working-class people to be beasts of burden instead. A stupider population is a more controllable and thus more profitable population.
Re:
The ultra-rich don’t need the dummies to work machines that create tech. If they need anyone, they can import cheap educated workers while demonizing them.
“A stupider population is a more controllable and thus more profitable population.”
And soon, may not be needed at all.