Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC (News - Alert)) revealed that it will be pledging an additional $2 billion over the next two years to help improve broadband networks in schools and libraries. It's no small move, and the project aims at providing students and educators better access to Internet connectivity. Specifically, 20 million students across 15,000 schools nationwide.

IP has been a huge focus for the FCC for 2014 not just to establish a 21^st century educational environment, but for the nation as a whole. As FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler (News - Alert) stated in a November 2013 blog post, “Our communications networks are changing—and fast.” This goes for businesses across every sector nationwide, including classrooms from the kindergarten to university level.

We agree with Wheeler, who also wrote that “the way forward is to encourage technological change while preserving the attributes of network services that customers have come to expect.” Here are some great reasons  why IP-based communications technology—like an advanced VoIP phone system—should be front and center in every school’s communication plan: