FCC

California Petitions FCC to Restore Funding for Off-Campus Wi-Fi

FCC’s September rollback of hotspot and school bus Wi-Fi support ‘abrupt and unfounded,’ CPUC says.

Jericho Casper

Nov 20, 2025 — 2 min read

Screenshot of CPUC President Alice Reynolds from CPUC's Facebook page.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2025 – A California regulator has formally challenged the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to eliminate E-Rate funding for off-campus Wi-Fi programs.

The California Public Utilities Commission said Tuesday the FCC’s September rollback of hotspot and school bus Wi-Fi support was “abrupt,” “unfounded,” and based on a faulty interpretation of Section 254 of the Communications Act.

It also underscored how significant the rollback will be: costing California schools $27.6 million annually in E-Rate support, while the state’s California Teleconnect Fund will be forced to absorb approximately $8.8 million in unplanned costs.