A Fifth Circuit decision has killed a major FCC program that connected poor rural schoolchildren to broadband, according to a report from Techdirt. The outlet calls the ruling part of a pattern in which "Trumpist courts" treat FCC actions as illegal whenever they challenge corporate power or benefit ordinary people, including students.
Techdirt argues that the court's reasoning echoes recent attacks on FCC regulations such as net neutrality, suggesting a judiciary increasingly hostile to agency efforts that advance competition or consumer protection. The program's abrupt end leaves rural schools and low-income families without a key federal lifeline at a time when reliable internet access is essential for education.
The article does not point to any immediate legislative backup, and it warns that the decision will hit the poorest and most isolated students hardest. With the program now dismantled, the burden shifts to local districts and families, many of whom lack the resources to fill the gap on their own.