E-Rate 2025 Explained: Key Questions and Answers for Schools and Libraries

With more than a 30-year history, the FCC’s E-Rate program enables affordable access to telecommunication and technology services for schools and libraries to support education. Billions of dollars in funding have been awarded to eligible entities across the country since its inception, and the most recent updates for the E-Rate 2025 program allow eligible schools and libraries to significantly expand Wi-Fi access for students, particularly in rural, underserved communities. 

If are you are at FETC this week, stop by our booth #1377 to learn more about how Nomadix can help bring connectivity to the classroom – all within your school’s budget and under the support of programs like E-Rate. We will also be hosting a session at the show on Jan 16 at 1:30 PM titled “Master of Funds: Unlock the Secret to Supercharging Your School with E-Rate and Beyond.”  

Whether you are at the show or not, there’s some interesting new things to know about this year’s E-Rate program. E-Rate expert Holly Davis has spent the last decade helping technology suppliers navigate the funding program and expand their markets into the government and education sectors. Here’s what she had to say about the E-Rate 2025 program: 

Speleos Dravillas (SD): Are there any additions or changes to the E-Rate program for this year?  

Holly Davis (HD): The 2025 E-Rate program now includes funding for schools and libraries to purchase Wi-Fi hotspots or “air cards” to loan out to students. This allows key players like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile to get back into the program after voice services were removed in 2014. This change not only brings these vendors back into the program but also helps solve the homework gap by extending connectivity for at-home learning, which is a major challenge in rural areas lacking broadband access.  

SD: Can you tell us something about E-Rate that most people may not know?   

HD: Private schools are eligible to participate in the program, a fact that some of these school administrators don’t know. That’s a huge missed opportunity because many private schools can benefit from government grant programs for infrastructure upgrades.   

Meanwhile, every school district should consider upgrading their on-campus networks through the E-Rate program. Approximately 1 in 4 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” to help students fully leverage technology in strategic and meaningful ways. E-Rate funds can be used toward upgrading internet access and on-campus infrastructure, leveraging managed services to future-proof their network to provide reliable and secure connectivity with a positive student experience.  

SD: Are there any particular areas schools and libraries should focus on this year?   

HD: After ensuring that you have convenient access and sufficient bandwidth already covered, investing in cybersecurity and building a resilient network can be a smart choice.  

K-12 is increasingly in the crosshairs of cyber attackers, with a near-weekly cadence of attacks according to the latest data. Unfortunately, schools are often easy targets because they don’t have the budget for protection like a bank or retailer would. Yet they still hold a tremendous amount of personal and confidential data. Even if cyber attackers don’t steal student or employee data, a ransomware attack that shuts down the network can bring 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.   

SD: What’s your most important piece of advice for schools and libraries looking to take advantage of E-Rate?
HD: Be intentional with your investments. Don’t just buy solutions or technology without doing your research. 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. E-Rate 2025 is a “use it or lose it” year for the funding, so find the gaps in your network or consider a refresh depending on the amount of funding you have left. You’ll want to evaluate your needs and discuss technology solutions with your service provider.   

That’s why I recommend working with vendors/service providers that can not only supply the products and solutions you need, but who provide a holistic approach to solving your technology challenges. You want a vendor who won’t just sell you the solution and walk away. Instead, you want a partner who will take the time to understand your goals and needs and help you build a long-term strategy.  

Finally, choose brands that have a robust development road map and that will allow you to “try before you buy” or demo their solutions prior to making a decision. Don’t just evaluate the technology–consider whether the vendor can help you build an approach that includes complementary services that enhance your network. You may not be able to add them to your budget outside of E-Rate, but you know if the budget becomes available you have a great option to consider them in the future.   

SD: What kind of complementary services might schools consider?   

HD: Add-on services can enhance school efficiency and safety, while providing a modern, tech-forward educational experience. For example, in many schools, 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.   

Whether you’re starting from scratch, expanding or upgrading your existing network infrastructure and safety programs, partnering with a hardware provider that offers simplified deployment and agnostic technology that plays well with existing hardware from other brands can help school districts level up connectivity, streamline user access and improve safety.  

For more information, the Universal Service Administrative Co. offers some great, user-friendly resources and tools for eligible entities and staff who may be new to the E-Rate program at https://www.usac.org/e-rate/.   We are also here to help, send us a message and we’ll be in touch to help you with your classroom connectivity needs. 

This article originally appeared in Today’s Modern Educator.

About Speleos Dravillas

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.

Before joining Nomadix, an ASSA ABLOY company, in 2021, Dravillas launched three different cloud solutions and led go-to-market strategies for direct and indirect sales channels. Before that, he successfully managed a VAR’s multi-tiered national sales team and transitioned its sales from a reseller model to a managed service provider (MSP) model featuring “as a service” offerings. He’s been championing eRate responses from technology companies for nearly 30 years, from the early days of the Schools and Library Commission to today’s modern Universal Service Access Commission.

About Holly Davis

For over 28 years, Holly Davis has been leveraging the E-Rate Program and direct marketing strategies to revolutionize how solutions are pitched and sold in the government and education sectors. Currently the CEO of Komplement Consulting, a recognized leader in SLED sales and marketing, E-Rate and the public sector, Holly’s journey includes influential roles such as a lobbyist for Oracle, Worldwide Sales Director of Public Sector for Ruckus Wireless, managing federal and SLED government programs for Shoretel, and as an executive sales leader at Sprint-Nextel.