Raleigh -- October 26, 2026: North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is taking aim at federal proposals that could strip millions of dollars in internet funding from classrooms across the state, warning that rural and mountain school systems would face the steepest fallout.
Jackson, alongside North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green and a coalition of 22 other state attorneys general, submitted a formal comment letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposing major proposed changes to the federal E-Rate program. The FCC is currently weighing options that include phasing out the initiative, severely cutting its budget, or placing conditional policy restrictions on funding awards.
The E-Rate program, established by Congress under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, distributes roughly $3 billion annually nationwide to discount telecommunications and broadband services for eligible public schools, private schools, and community libraries.
State data underscores just how deeply North Carolina relies on the program:
$54 million was delivered to North Carolina schools and libraries through E-Rate this year alone.
More than $1 billion in cumulative discounts have supported the state's educational network since 1998.
Nearly 2,800 schools and over 200 public libraries utilized E-Rate funding in 2024.
Nearly half of all participating North Carolina schools are located in rural districts.
“North Carolina relies on this federal aid to keep our schools running, especially our rural schools,” Jackson said. “Getting rid of this money would harm our kids and break the law. That’s why we’re telling the federal government to keep it in place.”
In Western North Carolina and similar rural regions, where rugged geography already drives up broadband installation and line maintenance costs, the loss of federal discounts could quickly overwhelm tight local school budgets. Without E-Rate, county districts would either have to absorb the full expense of maintaining commercial-grade internet connections or reduce access.
Broadband in modern facilities extends well beyond student laptops and classroom instruction. District administrators depend on reliable, high-speed lines to run campus security hardware, emergency communication systems, digital food service records, and automated HVAC operations.
“E-Rate keeps North Carolina’s classrooms connected, from rural communities to our biggest cities,” said Superintendent Green. “Our schools count on it for instruction, safety and day-to-day operations. Protecting this funding means protecting students’ access to learning.”
In their joint filing, the multi-state coalition argued that the FCC lacks the statutory authority to dismantle or drastically reshape E-Rate. Because Congress explicitly mandated the discount program by law, the attorneys general contend that any administrative effort to abolish funding or condition awards on specific educational criteria exceeds the agency's legal mandate and violates federal administrative rulemaking standards.
Joining North Carolina in the coalition are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.