For nearly three decades, the E-Rate program has delivered on the universal service goals Congress set out, giving schools and libraries access to affordable, high-speed broadband. Across that span, the program has kept pace with evolving technology while holding firm on fiscal discipline and accountability.
The real question facing the Commission isn’t whether E-Rate works—that much is settled. The program’s track record speaks for itself: millions of students and library patrons connected to critical educational resources, digital learning made possible, equitable access to information expanded, and the technological backbone of modern education and workforce readiness put in place.
Broadband is no longer a nice-to-have in education; it’s the foundation everything else sits on. Classroom teaching, digital testing, cybersecurity, cloud-based platforms, remote learning, and online resources all run on dependable, scalable connectivity. Libraries depend on that same infrastructure to offer digital literacy programs, workforce resources, telehealth access, government services, and internet access to communities that would otherwise go without. None of this is optional anymore—it’s core public infrastructure.
The Commission should also weigh E-Rate’s track record of careful stewardship over Universal Service Fund dollars. The program has layered in competitive bidding rules, independent application review, audits, document retention requirements, cost-allocation standards, and a range of other safeguards built to ensure transparency and guard against waste, fraud, and abuse—evolving these protections over time without losing sight of the program’s core purpose.
As the Commission weighs reforms, any changes should build on what’s already working rather than disrupt the predictability that schools, libraries, and service providers depend on for long-term technology planning. Stable funding, clear eligibility standards, administrative efficiency, and room to adopt new technologies are all essential if applicants are going to keep up with the growing demands of digital education.
The public interest is better served by reinforcing E-Rate, not chipping away at it. Sustained investment in affordable school and library broadband drives educational outcomes, advances digital equity, strengthens economic competitiveness, and upholds the universal service principles Congress entrusted to the Commission.
The path forward should be one of targeted modernization—improving the program where it makes sense, while protecting the basic framework that has connected schools and libraries successfully for almost thirty years.
E-Rate stands as one of the country’s most effective, accountable investments in educational connectivity, and keeping it strong is essential to preparing students, educators, and communities for what’s ahead.
All the list of questions the FCC raised in the FCC 26-41 NPRM & FNPRM released on June 26, 2026. Click Here
The applicants on the receiving end of these decisions need to speak up. Here’s the encouraging part: this is a proposal, not a final decision. The FCC is required to collect public comments, which means your voice can genuinely shape what happens next.
SHLB, along with its partners, has launched an action center at SaveOurERate.com to serve as a central resource for stakeholders who rely on the program. The site provides tools and guidance to support engagement, including instructions for filing comments with the FCC, contacting members of Congress, and taking other meaningful action. Schools, libraries, and their communities are encouraged to visit the site, make their voices heard, and return regularly for updates as the proceeding progresses.
SHLB will also host a free webinar on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET to review the proposal and provide guidance on how stakeholders can effectively participate and advocate.
For full FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Click Here
Save our E-Rate Click Here
The Future of E-Rate: Inside the FCC’s Proposal and How to Make Your Voice Heard – Register Here
