E-Rate Funding for Schools and Libraries Faces Termination as Public Comment Clock Starts

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and its partners urged the communities that depend on E-Rate to act now. The Federal Communications Commission's proposal to potentially terminate the E-Rate program was published in the Federal Register today, formally starting the clock on the public's chance to respond. Publication opens a 60-day public comment period and an additional 30-day reply comment period. Comments are due on or before Oct. 13, 2026, and reply comments are due on or before Nov. 12, 2026. Comments filed in this docket become part of the official record the Commission must consider before it can act. SHLB and its partners have launched an action center at SaveOurERate.com, a central hub for everyone who depends on the program. The site houses the resources the community needs to get involved, including tools to file comments with the FCC, guidance on how to write to members of Congress and other ways to take action. Advocates new to the issue can start with the webinar recording available on the site, which walks through what's at stake and how to make an effective comment.