For 30 years, E-Rate has been one of America’s most visionary programs, opening the doors of digital opportunity to every community in our nation. As part of the Universal Service Fund, E-Rate has ensured broadband access through our libraries and schools. Today, approximately 73% of public libraries and 96% of public schools rely on E-Rate discounts—totaling more than $2 billion annually—for internet connectivity. But now E-Rate is under threat.
As our nation marks its 250th year and E-Rate reaches its 30th anniversary, we should be celebrating a program that has expanded information access for all Americans. Unfortunately, opponents argue that because E-Rate has succeeded, we no longer need it. But success is precisely why it must continue. Just as our streets and roads require ongoing investment, so too does our digital infrastructure. Such access is fundamental to learning, economic opportunity, health, civic participation, and community life. A digitally connected America—across rural, urban, and tribal lands alike—is a stronger America.
To highlight what’s at stake, I reached out to colleagues who witness E-Rate’s impact every day.
Zoe Holland, academic librarian at Tuzzy Consortium Library at Iḷisaġvik College in Utqiaġvik, Alaska—population 5,000 and the northernmost US city—says the library is the only place some patrons go for internet access. “The loss of E-Rate would mean that we have to make difficult choices about where to allocate funds,” she says.
Approximately 24% of Americans living on tribal lands lack high-speed broadband access, compared with about 7% of Americans more broadly. With all communities facing economic pressures, Holland says, “cutting into libraries’ abilities to help alleviate that burden will bring unnecessary harm and hardship, particularly to small towns and villages like ours where options and resources are already limited and expensive.”
Sherry Scheline, director of Donnelly (Idaho) Public Library and president of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, agrees that E-Rate is imperative for small communities. “Gutting E-Rate disproportionately impacts rural communities. Libraries like mine in rural Idaho simply cannot survive with massive government cuts,” Scheline says. “We will have to stop providing internet to the public or shutter our doors. Protecting E-Rate is protecting rural America.”
Donnelly has an estimated population of 250, and as Scheline notes, reliable internet access allows her community to apply for jobs, complete schoolwork, attend telehealth appointments, access government resources, and stay connected with family and local organizations. “For many households, especially in rural or underserved areas, public Wi-Fi can help bridge the digital divide and support economic and social development,” she says. “Cutting E-Rate further widens the gap between underserved rural places and urban areas.”
Affordable broadband access is crucial for larger library systems, too, especially since E-Rate funding is partly determined by the level of poverty in an area.
Sno-Isle Libraries in Washington State, which serves more than 800,000 residents, depends on E-Rate funding to provide reliable internet access to patrons. Susan Braukus Hempstead, assistant director of strategic relations and communications at Sno-Isle Libraries and chair of ALA’s Committee on Legislation, says that during the 2026–2030 category two funding cycle, the library district expects to receive up to $200,000 in E-Rate reimbursements for eligible network infrastructure.
One of the library district’s largest expenses is replacing enterprise network switches, which can cost up to $150,000 every few years. These switches are the backbone of every library, securely connecting public computers, staff workstations, printers, and Wi-Fi access points so customers can reliably access the internet for schoolwork, job training, telehealth, government services, and everyday needs. “Without this infrastructure,” says Hempstead, “the digital services that communities depend on simply would not function.”
She says that when the only pharmacy in Darrington, Washington, closed and directed its 1,500 residents to order prescription medications online, many did not know how to navigate the process. They turned to the Darrington Library, where trusted librarians helped them access the internet and complete essential health care tasks.
For libraries, technology costs beyond E-Rate eligibility—including cybersecurity requirements and compliance with new federal systems—continue to grow. Sustaining the reliable network infrastructure that enables these services is why the E-Rate program remains vital across the country.
“Continued support for E-Rate ensures libraries can invest in the essential connectivity that empowers communities to access critical online resources while keeping library technology reliable, secure, and available to everyone,” Hempstead says.
The American Library Association and our national partners, including the Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, are fighting to preserve E-Rate. You can help. Tell Congress to save our E-Rate. Ultimately, what will matter most are the stories from local E-Rate users who provide the most compelling arguments for preserving the program: the ways E-Rate benefits communities.
On July 16, SHLB will host a free webinar at 2 p.m. Eastern, to break down the proposed changes to E-Rate and walk attendees through the process of making their voices heard. Please join us in saving this critical program.
