Telecommunications providers will soon compete for licenses for the 2.5 GHz spectrum to build out the next generation of their wireless networks.

The commission will hold a vote next month that educators fear will reverse a 50-year tradition prioritizing access for educational institutions.

The department wrote the commission a letter asking it to maintain the Educational Broadband Service's "educational nature."

A wireless internet service currently available primarily to educational institutions could soon be opened up for private industry to monetize.