Washington, D.C. – Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman, both D-Conn., today announced that 47 Connecticut schools, libraries, and districts will share more than $650,000 to provide access to the Internet and upgrade computer and communications networks.

The grants were awarded as part of the national E-rate initiative created by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. E-rate funding is intended to provide affordable Internet access and computer resources to schools and libraries, especially those in rural and disadvantaged areas. Senators Dodd and Lieberman were original co-sponsors of the E-rate legislation.

“One of the most basic ways to bridge the digital divide is to make sure that every student has access to the Internet in school,” Lieberman said. “For children who don't have home computers, the E-rate initiative may be their only on-ramp to the information superhighway. This grant will help ensure that Connecticut's classrooms are wired to take full advantage of Internet-based learning, so every student is properly prepared for our technology-driven New Economy.”

“The E-rate initiative is first rate because it literally puts our children in touch with the future,” said Dodd. “It provides the technological tools children need today to make the most of their lives tomorrow.”

This is the third year of funding for the E-rate initiative, which has received more than 36,000 applications from schools and libraries across the country. In addition to this latest round of grants, Connecticut has received more than $4 million in E-rate funding.

The percentage of schools with Internet access has more than doubled since the E-rate initiative was implemented, but individual classroom access remains a priority. Currently, four out of five Connecticut schools report inadequate classroom access to telephone lines, and 60 percent of classrooms in wealthier communities have Internet access compared to under 40 percent of lower-income classrooms.

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