E-Rate is at Risk: Schools and Libraries Have Until October 13th to Make Their Voices Heard
E-Rate is at Risk.
Schools & Libraries have until October 13th to make their voices heard.
Deadline to Comment is October13, 2026
For nearly 30 years, E-Rate has helped schools and libraries nationwide afford the connectivity they need to serve their communities. Today, the future of that program is uncertain.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering whether to terminate the E-Rate program or limit it to rural areas. With the proposal now open for public comment, schools, libraries, and the communities they serve have an important opportunity to share what E-Rate means to them.
At Mobile Beacon, we believe that affordable, reliable internet access is essential to the work of community anchor institutions. We support preserving E-Rate and encourage those who rely on the program to make their voices heard before the public comment period closes.
Why E-Rate Matters
Schools and libraries are more than places to learn and borrow books. They are vital community resources that provide access to education, technology, information, and services.
Reliable broadband helps schools connect students and educators to digital learning opportunities. It also enables libraries to provide internet access and digital resources to patrons who may lack reliable connectivity elsewhere.
E-Rate helps make that connectivity more affordable. Ending or significantly limiting the program could shift those costs back to schools and libraries, forcing institutions already operating on tight budgets to make difficult decisions about where to allocate resources.
As the Schools Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) Executive Director Joey Wender explained in announcing the public comment period, “Eliminating E-Rate would not eliminate the cost of internet access. Instead, those costs would fall back on the schools and libraries that depend on the program.”
Now Is the Time to Speak Up
The FCC’s public comment process gives schools, libraries, and community members an opportunity to explain how E-Rate directly affects them.
Your comments matter. Comments submitted to the FCC become part of the official record the Commission must consider before acting on the proposal.
For schools and libraries, sharing real experiences can demonstrate what E-Rate makes possible. How does affordable connectivity support your students or patrons? Which programs and services depend on it? What would higher connectivity costs mean for your organization’s budget and the community you serve? And for community members, this is your opportunity to speak up in support of a program that benefits your community as a whole.
Your stories are worth telling.
The deadline to submit public comments is October 13, 2026.
Reply comments are due November 12, 2026.
How You Can Take Action
The SHLB Coalition and its partners have created the Save Our E-Rate Action Center to help schools, libraries, and supporters participate in the process.
Through the action center, you can find resources to help you submit a comment to the FCC, contact members of Congress, and encourage others in your community to get involved.
Visit the Save Our E-Rate Action Center
You can also help by sharing these resources with colleagues, administrators, board members, educators, library staff, and others who understand firsthand why affordable connectivity matters.
Mobile Beacon Supports E-Rate
Mobile Beacon’s mission is rooted in strengthening communities by helping the organizations that serve them, access affordable, high-speed internet.
Schools and libraries are essential parts of that ecosystem. Their ability to connect people to education, information, opportunity, and essential resources should not depend on whether they can absorb significantly higher connectivity costs.
That’s why Mobile Beacon supports preserving E-Rate and encourages schools, libraries, and community members to participate in the FCC’s public comment process.
Make your voice heard by October 13th.
