# Davis Urges FCC to Preserve E-Rate

Congressman Don Davis urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to preserve E-Rate support for schools and libraries and restore support for school-bus Wi-Fi and internet hotspots. North Carolina has received more than $1 billion in E-Rate discounts since 1998, including about $30 million for public school districts in Davis’s district from 2021 through 2025. The request is a policy development, not an announced solicitation or contract award; any change to eligible support could affect broadband and connectivity demand among schools and libraries.

- Broadband providers and suppliers of school connectivity services or equipment may wish to assess how their K-12 business depends on E-Rate-supported purchases, including bus Wi-Fi and hotspots.
- Procurement teams should distinguish Davis’s request from an FCC decision: the signal does not announce restored support, a funding commitment, or a procurement timeline.
- The North Carolina funding figures indicate the scale of E-Rate-supported school connectivity in the state, but do not represent a new contract opportunity or funding award.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Education, Information Technology
**Topics:** Digital Infrastructure, Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 17, 2026

### Government Entities
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- U.S. House of Representatives
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

### Key Quotes
> For nearly 30 years, E-Rate has helped give students in rural communities, including across eastern North Carolina, the tools they need to learn and succeed.
> — Congressman Don Davis

### Sources
- [Congressman Don Davis Calls on FCC to Preserve the E-Rate Program | Representative Davis](https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-don-davis-calls-fcc-preserve-e-rate-program) - Dondavis