The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the E-Rate program, asking if E-Rate is still necessary and how the program should change. This proceeding could drastically impact the work of the schools and libraries that rely on E-Rate funding. Every state has E-Rate coordinators that help schools and libraries navigate the federal program. Larger libraries (those with more financial resources) tend to use consultants, while smaller libraries with less capacity rely on the state E-Rate coordinator. We sat down with a handful of E-Rate coordinators to ask for their thoughts on E-Rate and the program's future.

The AI race is already well underway at the largest network operators. But for smaller broadband providers, the questions are often more basic: Do we have the resources for this? Where is it on our list of priorities? Where do we even start? Lou Borelli is CEO of the National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC), a cooperative comprised of cable operators, ILECs, CLECs, and other independent broadband and pay-TV service providers. Borelli said its 640 or so members increasingly view AI as a “must do, not a nice to have,” but are balancing it against other priorities, including Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment-funded builds, daily operations and broader margin pressure. “They really have a challenge to balance how do I develop my AI program while I’m trying to do everything else?” Borelli said. “That’s where I think you get into a lack of resources, which is really people, as well as a balance sheet [so] they can afford to make those kinds of bets."

Nearly 75 percent of school districts in North Carolina report they don't have a sustainable funding source to maintain their fleet of computers, including student devices like Chromebooks. North Carolina public schools collectively spent more than $6.6 million last school year to repair broken computers. That's according to a new report, the first of its kind, by the Department of Public Instruction that was presented to the State Board of Education. "It's very important to lift this report up because it is designed to make us have better decisions about what we're doing with technology, particularly in a time when budgets are tighter than ever," said Vanessa Wrenn, the department's chief information officer. The "break/fix report" sought to calculate the total cost of a device beyond its purchase price.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are removing regulations related to the 911 Grant Program because the program is no longer active and there have been no new appropriations to revive or extend it. This removal is intended to eliminate obsolete regulatory language, ensure that the Code of Federal Regulations is accurate and up-to-date, and minimize the risk of confusion regarding the availability of grant funds. The rule is effective October 6, 2026.