Protect Your E-Rate Funding

On June 25, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, officially designated as FCC-26-41A1 (with an accompanying news release DOC-422575A1), under WC Docket No. 26-133 and others. This proceeding marks an unprecedented shift in federal oversight that could fundamentally restrict, reorient, or eliminate the E-Rate funding your institution relies on to maintain its digital infrastructure.

We urge all clients to take immediate action by submitting public comments to the FCC and contacting your elected congressional representatives to advocate for the preservation of this vital program.

We believe the three biggest issues raised in FCC-26-41A1 that directly threaten the future of your E-Rate support are:

• Potential Sunsetting or Restricting of the E-Rate Program: The FCC is actively seeking comment on whether the E-Rate program has fulfilled its core mission and should be limited, narrowed, or completely phased out in light of current high school and library connectivity rates.
• Elimination or Restriction of Infrastructure Funding (Special Construction & MIBS): The Commission is proposing to eliminate or heavily restrict funding for self-provisioned network construction, special construction, dark fiber, and Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS). Additionally, they are considering limiting E-Rate support strictly to rural areas or areas served by a single provider.
• Conditioning Funding on Deficit Regulatory Mandates: The FCC is proposing to tie funding eligibility to strict compliance with heavy administrative mandates, including enforcing daily school-day screen time limits, creating parental opt-outs for digital instruction, and requiring network-level filtering for all third-party or student-owned devices connecting to your network. The proposal also looks to eliminate E-Rate support entirely for Head Start and pre-kindergarten facilities.

How to Take Action

1. Submit a Public Comment to the FCC

The FCC is accepting public comments for 60 days following the publication of FCC-26-41A1 in the Federal Register. You can file your comment electronically via the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS):

• Go to https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express
• Enter the lead docket number: 26-133 (you may also include 13-184, 21-93, and 21-455)
• Fill in your institution’s information and enter your brief statement urging the FCC to keep E-Rate intact, flexible, and free of burdensome local mandates.

2. Contact Your Elected Representatives

Reach out to your U.S. Senators and House Representatives to let them know how narrowing the E-Rate program would harm your students, library patrons, and local community. Urge them to press the FCC to reject rules that weaken educational technology funding. You can locate your representatives’ contact information at https://www.congress.gov/members.

Your voice as an applicant is vital to protecting the future of digital equity and literacy in our communities.