Latest News: E-Rate

Now that USAC has issued all Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program, participants are heading into their initial annual reporting cycle. USAC’s latest update also covers new payment requirements, a new sign-in portal, how to return funds, and the deadlines for appeals and waivers. Here’s what schools and libraries in the Pilot should know, and what to

What is competitive bidding? Before E-Rate helps pay for your internet, Wi-Fi or network equipment, you have to shop around fairly. That shopping process is called competitive bidding. Think of it like getting quotes for a new roof. You describe the job, let several companies send prices, give them enough time to respond, then pick the best value and keep the paperwork. E-Rate works

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, USAC opens the EPC Administrative Window for FY2027. This is your yearly chance to update the information in your E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) profile that USAC uses to set your discount rate and your Category Two (C2) budget. You can update: The window closes shortly before the FY2027 FCC Form 471 filing window opens in early 2027, and your

Applies to: E-Rate applicants who invoice using the BEAR method What’s happening Beginning September 8, 2026, USAC will use SAM.gov banking information to pay all Universal Service Fund (USF) invoices. Every invoice paid on or after that date will be disbursed to the bank account tied to your entity’s SAM.gov registration — not to any account previously on file with USAC. Who needs to

Category Two equipment and other one-time services must be delivered and installed by month’s end. Two new checklists walk applicants and service providers through it. Funding Year 2025 recurring services wrapped up on June 30, 2026, but the year is not closed. Non-recurring services — Category Two equipment, internal connections, installation labor, basic maintenance — carry a separate deadline of September 30, 2026. The

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