News
The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition is urging the FCC to revise language that would ramp up new focus on E-Rate funding.
By Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
June 18, 2026 — Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released two notices of proposed rulemaking, proposing a renewed focus on—and potentially a sunset of—the agency’s E-Rate program.
The new push, detailed in a June 4 FCC factsheet, asserts that the agency seeks to strengthen E-Rate. Some education connectivity advocates, however, are saying otherwise.
According to a June 16 ex parte filing from the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB), E-Rate advocates this month have met with FCC officials, advising them the FCC lacks the statutory authority to cancel the Congressionally conceived program.
Meanwhile, in their June 4 factsheet, the FCC alleges that “given the substantial expansion of broadband access in schools and libraries over the last three decades,” comment should be sought on whether the E-Rate program has “fulfilled that mission.”
“Should the E-Rate program be limited or sunset to reflect today’s extensive connectivity rates?” the factsheet asks.
As a result, advocates from SHLB have spent June meeting with FCC officials.
This month the organization met with a senior legal advisor from FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty’s office. They also said they met with the senior counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, their ex parte filing states.
During the meetings, SHLB says they pushed commissioners to remove text from the June 4 notices of proposed rulemaking that seeks comment on terminating the E-Rate program or limiting its scope.
Carr scrutinizes E-Rate
The E-Rate program provides eligible schools and libraries with discounted telecommunications services. It has been a focus for Carr recently.
According to Carr, the program costs about $3 billion annually.
“Research has now been pouring in that America’s experiment with heightened screen time in schools may be related to the negative educational outcomes we are now seeing in classrooms across the country,” Carr said earlier this month.
The FCC will further consider the matter at their open meeting on June 25.
Learn more at Broadband Communities Summit 2026
Industry experts will discuss how to align broadband initiatives with education during a panel discussion at Broadband Communities Summit on August 26 moderated by Kami Griffiths, the founding executive director of digitalLIFT.
Representatives from Connected Nation, the Meraki Dignity Project, and the Vernonburg Group will be on hand to dive into collaboration between ISPs and educational organizations, and topics like increasing tech access and adoption.
