"Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler in his speech today made it clear that transforming the nation's E-Rate program is one of his biggest priorities.  That is welcome news.

The E-Rate program has done an incredible job of connecting 100,000 schools and libraries to the internet since its inception.  But technology has changed the way teachers teach and students learn, and the program must keep up with the times.

Chairman Wheeler understands that the next challenge is bringing broadband connectivity to a full classroom of students and teachers all at once.  When this happens, it creates incredible opportunities to use video and cutting edge applications as part of the everyday learning process, which  has been shown to lead to significant improvements in educational outcomes.

As part of our enduring commitment to improving K-12 education, Cisco has put forward a number of recommendations for how to modernize and reform E-Rate.  We stand ready to work with the Chairman, the Commissioners, the FCC staff, and members of Congress to ensure that the program continues to be central to the Federal Government's effort to improve education in every school in America.