CoSN and SETDA Issue Joint Response to the Senate USF Working Group

To preserve E-Rate’s legacy while adapting to today’s challenges, SETDA and CoSN respectfully recommend Congress and the USF Working Group to:

1. Reaffirm Congressional Commitment to E-Rate: Recognize E-Rate’s unparalleled role in fulfilling the universal service mandate for schools and libraries.
2. Modernize to Address Cybersecurity: Expand E-Rate’s eligible services to cover a range of cybersecurity protections such as next-generation firewalls, endpoint security and filtering — services that districts consistently identify as priorities (2024 E-Rate Trends Report). The working group should evaluate outcomes of the E-Rate Cybersecurity Pilot program to determine how federal agencies can continue supporting this issue after the pilot’s conclusion, especially in light of recent unilateral administration cuts to CISA’s support for schools, including MS-ISAC.
3. Support Sustainable Home Connectivity: Coordinate E-Rate with the High-Cost program and BEAD to address persistent home access gaps and meet community broadband needs. We encourage the working group to make clear that “classrooms” are any location where a student is learning, including designating mobile hot spots, bus Wi-Fi and other off-campus connection strategies as eligible E-Rate services, and to work with the Department of Commerce, the FCC and other agencies to speed deployment of other broadband connectivity funds.
4. Ensure Long-Term USF Sustainability: Broaden the existing USF structure’s contribution base to stabilize funding and maintain the program’s independence from the annual appropriations process, while continuing its strong accountability and transparency (CoSN/SETDA Principles Statement).