WASHINGTON – May 12, 2021 – America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) today praised the Federal Communications Commission for making datacasting equipment and connectivity eligible for funding through the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund Program.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Commission for including datacasting among the technologies eligible for funding under this new program to help schools and libraries connect students without broadband access,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of APTS. “The unanimous endorsement of datacasting by members of the Commission is a powerful testament to the value of this technology in bridging the “homework gap” that threatens the educational progress of millions of students still unconnected to the internet.
“We in public television are proud of the pioneering role our stations have played in applying datacasting technology to remote learning in a time of national crisis, and we look forward to partnering with the Commission and with state and local education agencies to deploy this technology quickly and comprehensively in those areas where broadband access will remain unavailable for some time to come.”
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org