While students and teachers are headed back to the classroom, K-12 school districts are planning their technology investments for the new E-Rate program 2025. The FCC’s E-Rate program has funded billions of dollars to eligible entities across the country to bring schools and libraries “up to speed” with robust internet access, telecommunication and other technology services. While the application season hasn’t opened for Form 470 submissions yet, now is a good time for organizations to build a comprehensive strategic plan around their current and future needs.
Determine Eligibility – It’s Broader Than You May Think
In addition to public schools, private schools are eligible to participate in the program. Many school administrators don’t realize this, and it’s a missed opportunity to benefit from government grant programs for infrastructure upgrades.
Participate in the Program to Meet Wi-Fi FCC Standards
Every school district should consider upgrading their on-campus networks through the E-Rate 2025 program. Approximately, 25% of school districts have yet to meet the FCC’s 1 Mbps per student bandwidth goal, and the Office of Educational Technology’s 2024 National Education Technology Plan calls on districts to close gaps in digital “access, design and use.”
E-Rate funds can be used toward upgrading internet access and school infrastructure, leveraging managed services to future-proof their network to provide reliable and secure connectivity with a positive student experience.
We offer Nomadix Networks, a range of LAN switches, Wi-Fi access points, and physical or cloud controllers that delivers secure and dependable wired and wireless connectivity. The products are optimized for SLED use cases and are designed for performance and simplicity.
New Additions for This Year
The E-Rate 2025 program now includes funding for schools and libraries to purchase Wi-Fi hotspots or “air cards” to loan out to students. This change helps solve the homework gap by extending connectivity for at-home learning. This is solving a major challenge for rural areas lacking broadband access.
Use or Lose – Key Considerations for Investments
Did you know that the E-Rate program 2025 is a “use it or lose it” year for the funding? Now is the time to find the gaps in your network or consider a refresh depending on the amount of funding you have left.
Be intentional with your investments, and think about the strategic long-term plan. Consider how the technology will affect the student-teacher experience and how implementing it may impact your campus. Also consider add-on services that can enhance efficiency and safety, while providing a modern, tech-forward educational experience.
In many situations, students struggle to simply get connected to the network and teachers spend a lot of time helping students get logged on each day. A streamlined authentication solution could assist in delivering secure and reliable Wi-Fi with simplified sign-on. This way, students can automatically connect when they enter the building, and teachers don’t have to waste classroom time helping students log on. Instead, they can spend more time using those digital resources to teach more effectively.
On-campus alerts are another option that can enhance safety. These wearable devices leverage the existing Wi-Fi network, allowing the user to signal an emergency, summon help, and provide real-time location at the press of a button. This could provide a smart, additional layer of security and peace of mind in buildings that already have a robust network in place.
Lastly, cybersecurity and building a resilient network are other important considerations. K-12 is increasingly in the crosshairs of cyber attackers, with a near-weekly cadence of attacks according to the latest data. Cybersecurity can impact schools in many ways – from stolen personal or confidential data for students and staff, or ransomware attacks shutting down the network, bringing the classroom and administration to a halt. The new E-Rate Cybersecurity Pilot Program, managed by USAC under the E-Rate program, will help the government and schools access advanced cybersecurity services and solutions they need to secure e-learning environments.
Now is the Time to Prepare for the E-Rate Program 2025
Whether you’re starting from scratch, expanding or upgrading your existing network infrastructure, Nomadix can help school districts level up connectivity, streamline user access and improve safety with simplified deployment and agnostic technology that plays well with existing hardware from other brands.
Interested in learning more about Nomadix Wi-Fi solutions for Education? Please reach out to us or check out our new video and resources.
Speleos Dravillas is Chief Revenue Officer and responsible for Nomadix’s go-to-market strategy and revenue growth through the execution of technology integration partnerships, strong channel and customer relationships, and industry alliances. He also is responsible for global sales, channel growth strategies and execution.