FCC Reviews $4 Billion E-Rate Program as Project 2025 Targets Broadband Cuts

1 articles · Updated · LAist · Jul 12

Late June brought a full FCC review of E-Rate, the long-running subsidy that discounts internet service for schools and libraries, raising fears the program could be cut back or scrapped.
Project 2025 helps explain the move: the conservative blueprint singled out federal broadband policy for spending cuts, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote that section meant to guide a second Trump administration.
E-Rate was created by Congress in 1996, when only 14% of schools and libraries had internet access; that figure is now near 100%, making the review notable after bipartisan oversight across multiple administrations.
Any rollback would hit school and library connectivity budgets directly, with educators and advocates warning students could lose access gains built over three decades.