Federal internet funding for schools gets a new public bidding portal

The US communications regulator just made it harder to cheat the federal program that funds internet for schools and libraries. Schools and libraries applying for these funds must now use a new online portal for all bids, making the process public.

The E-Rate program has sent billions of dollars to schools and libraries for internet access since 1996. But it has also faced persistent issues with fraud and waste. This new portal makes the entire bidding process transparent, from initial requests to final selections. It becomes much harder for vendors to collude or for applicants to favor certain companies without public justification.