The FCC’s review of the E-Rate program has moved from “something we heard about” to “something with deadlines.” We’ve put together a single timeline covering how the program got here, exactly where we are right now, and what comes next — so schools, districts, libraries, consortia, and service providers can all work from the same calendar.
The two dates that matter most: comments are due October 13, 2026, and reply comments are due November 12, 2026.
THE IMPORTANT TIMELINE FOR THE WALL: Click Here
One Important Clarification
No funding has been cut. The FCC did not vote to eliminate E-Rate. No school or library loses support as a result of this action, and committed funding is not disturbed. This is the beginning of a public conversation.
But the questions being asked are foundational rather than technical, and the record built this fall is what the Commission will rely on. Silence from the field is also a data point. Your comments are your own — we’re glad to help you assemble your data and think through your position, and we won’t ask you to adopt ours. If you’d like help identifying which questions bear most directly on your entity, or pulling together your funding history, reach out.
K&S RECOMMENDED INTERNAL DEADLINE
To give applicants adequate time to prepare, K&S recommends the following internal schedule:
| Date | Recommended Action |
| August 17–31 | Review NPRM/FNPRM and identify applicable issues |
| September 1–15 | Collect E-Rate, connectivity, and financial data |
| September 15–30 | Calculate potential financial and operational impact |
| September 25–October 5 | Draft comments |
| October 1–9 | Leadership/legal review and final approval |
| October 9 | K&S recommended filing target |
| October 13 | FCC INITIAL COMMENTS DUE |
| October 14–November 5 | Monitor comments and prepare for reply comments |
| November 1–10 | Draft and finalize reply comments |
| November 12 | FCC REPLY COMMENTS DUE |
| The FCC document itself | FCC 26-41, NPRM and Further NPRM (PDF). Click Here |
| Full notice in ECFS | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking filing record. Click Here |
