In its role helping the nation's schools connect to the Internet and other telecommunications services, the "E-rate" has been among the most consistent of federal programs. Funding for the "education rate" program has held at about $2.25 billion a year since it was created under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and it covers few of the technology services available to schools beyond simple Internet and phone connectivity. But now, with a critical mass of schools connected to the Web, experts say inadequate funding and the program's onerous and often confusing rules and procedures can complicate schools' efforts to pursue more innovative tech-based approaches to teaching and learning. The program is credited with helping most of the nation's schools move into the Internet age--just 14 percent of K-12 classrooms had access when the program was created in 1996, compared with more than 95 percent today. But confusion over which services qualify for discounts, the extent of the requirements for addressing Internet safety and access, and a paper trail laborious enough to frighten even the most seasoned of bureaucrats, have hindered plans in some districts to expand the use of digital tools, experts say. The Federal Communications Commission, which oversees the E-rate program, has made changes over the years to make it easier and more accessible to applicants, and workshops are held each year to provide updates and guidance on rules and procedures, according to Carol Mattey, a senior policy advisor to the task force for the National Broadband Plan, which is scheduled to come out on March 17.