E-Rate Program
The E-Rate program was established in 1996 under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to provide discounts on telecommunications, internet access, and internal network connections for schools and libraries. In 2014 and 2019, the E-Rate program was modernized including adjusting the cap to account for inflation. E-Rate remains a critical program for ensuring access to technology in education, and recent changes reflect the evolving needs of schools, libraries, and students in a digital world.
Take Action
Help Strengthen ULC's Comments Defending E-Rate to the FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is weighing a proposal asking whether the essential E-Rate program — which for nearly 30 years has provided US libraries and schools of all kinds with the affordable broadband access they need and played a pivotal role in narrowing the digital divide — should be drastically narrowed or even eliminated. Specifically, the proposal could confine its scope exclusively to rural areas, ignoring the need that remains in urban and suburban communities nationwide — hurting ALL public libraries.
The period for public comments to the FCC closed on October 13, 2026. ULC, along with our colleagues at the Association for Rural & Small Libraries, submitted joint comments featuring insights from both our memberships. Reply comments, which allow stakeholders to respond to issues raised by other parties, will be due November 12, 2026.
For a wealth of information and tools including more about reply comments, as well as ways to still file a personalized letter, please visit the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB)’s essential SaveOurERate.com website.