Among the more than 100 pages of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, two paragraphs have had outsized influence on library services over the last 30 years. These paragraphs are the basis of the federal E-Rate program which, today, supports internet connectivity for about half of the nation’s public libraries.

LIBRARY CONNECTIVITY IN 2026

Enter a library and you’ll find people in front of the public access computers filling out job applications, checking bank accounts, streaming video, and shopping online. Someone is on their own laptop using the library’s Wi-Fi to prepare for an exam. A remote worker reserved a meeting room for a virtual meeting with clients while someone else uses a study room to download medical records during a telehealth consultation with the VA hospital. In the staff area, employees process interlibrary loan requests and record a virtual story time while reference staff finish up a research project that will be emailed to a patron. You might see a 3-D printer printing a replacement part for someone’s lawnmower, or, after school, teens editing a music video they filmed. As you leave, you use the self-checkout kiosk.

All this activity requires a reliable, robust, and affordable internet connection. Approximately 52 percent of libraries pay for this connectivity with discounts from the E-Rate program, one of four programs that make up the Universal Service Fund (USF), overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

REMEMBER “DIAL-UP”? A LOOK BACK TO 1996

When we talk about library connectivity in 2026, we say that virtually every U.S. public library has a broadband, or high-speed, internet connection and provides Wi-Fi throughout the building. In the lead up to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, however, only 21 percent of public library systems were connected to the internet according to the 1994 National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) report. That did not mean that they provided internet access to the public, and Wi-Fi was not part of the conversation at all. Of the libraries that were connected, just 12.7 percent provided public access computers. Nor was internet connectivity ubiquitous across geography. At the time, most (78.9 percent) urban libraries had a connection, while few (16.8 percent) rural libraries did. Connectivity also differed significantly by region. In the Midwest, only 15.4 percent of libraries were online, with somewhat greater connectivity rates in the South (18.6 percent), Northeast (25.9 percent), and West (28.2 percent). While some differences in connectivity still exist today (see the Public Library Association [PLA] Tech Survey 2023), E-Rate has helped even the playing field.

In 1996, getting a library online usually required a separate phone line just for internet access. If a library only had one line, it had to choose between receiving phone calls or using the internet. Libraries most often used their internet connections for email and listservs. Advanced uses meant searching digital indexes, journals, and government documents to answer reference questions.

THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996

From the earliest days of the internet revolution, policymakers demonstrated an understanding of the important role libraries would have in ensuring equitable access to information as content moved from print to digital, following the rise of information and resource sharing via the (nascent) internet.

During a 1993 meeting at the Library of Congress, Vice President Al Gore raised the idea of public libraries as a “safety net for internet-based information and services.” Then, during the 1994 State of the Union address, President Bill Clinton called for every library (and school and healthcare facility) to be connected to the information superhighway by 2000 and directed Congress to pass legislation to establish the superhighway. The resulting Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Telecom Act) was signed into law by President Clinton on February 8 of that year.

To craft the Telecom Act, lawmakers, industry lobbyists, and public interest organizations grappled with how to overhaul the Communications Act of 1934 to accommodate the emergence of advanced communications technologies—namely, the internet. A primary goal was to continue to ensure that all consumers, regardless of location, had access to advanced telecommunication service at reasonable rates—the original concept of universal service. The Telecom Act recognized that critical sectors required additional incentives for telecommunications providers to meet the universal service goal: rural/remote communities, low-income households, rural health care facilities, and educational institutions (i.e., public libraries and K–12 schools). These became the four programs of the FCC’s Universal Service Fund (USF).

Thanks to the foresight and bipartisan efforts of Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), James Exon (D-NE), and Bob Kerrey (D-NE), E-Rate found a home in the 1996 Telecom Act. Library advocates know well Section 254(h)(1)(B) and (h)(2) of the Act, which hold the keys to $5 billion for library and school connectivity. E-Rate still garners bipartisan support in Congress, which has been key to its success.

STEWARDING THE E-RATE PROGRAM

Like other federal programs, E-Rate needs ongoing attention from advocates. This vital program is the largest technology funding source for libraries, and safeguarding it is a policy priority for the American Library Association (ALA), guided by its E-Rate Task Force.

At times, E-Rate has been a vehicle used by Congress to achieve policy objectives adjacent to the original intent of the program to connect libraries and classrooms. The most significant example of this is the passage of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in 2000. Despite freedom of information advocates battling all the way to the Supreme Court in 2004, CIPA has since required libraries receiving E-Rate funding for internet, and certain technologies required for that connection, to have an internet safety policy and filtering software on their computers to block access to visual images deemed as obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors. Libraries that choose not to filter cannot benefit from E-Rate discounts.

From the beginning, it has been tough to find a balance between necessary program oversight and the burden such oversight puts on program applicants. Years of data collected through the Public Library and Technology Survey show that of libraries that don’t apply, roughly one-third opt out of E-Rate because of the application process and its numerous required forms, complex timelines, and onerous record-keeping requirements. In 2005, ALA proposed a major overhaul that reduced the cumbersome process to something akin to an E-Rate EZ form. ALA has also worked to train and support state E-Rate coordinators. Across the country, these coordinators are the primary channels for disseminating information about the E-Rate program to libraries. They often provide direct assistance to libraries throughout the application process, especially important for small libraries with limited staff.

For nearly 30 years, ALA has worked alongside its member advocates and allies to:

• Sustain E-Rate’s core mission to connect libraries (and schools) to the internet;
• Ensure the program evolves to accommodate future advances in broadband networks;
• Streamline the application and review process; and
• Boost library participation in the program.

These goals are integral to libraries’ ability to meet the broadband and technology needs of their communities, now and in the future.

E-RATE REFORM

Advances in technology put pressure on policymakers to re-envision existing programs and policies; E-Rate has not been immune. In 2010, the FCC’s National Broadband Plan made recommendations to streamline E-Rate, increase flexibility for securing necessary infrastructure, and raise the funding cap. Soon after, the FCC took the first steps toward modernizing the then–13-year-old program. In 2014, the FCC set bandwidth goals for libraries and schools, ensured ubiquitous Wi-Fi, and expanded options for fiber-based connections. The FCC backed these changes by increasing the fund by $1.5 billion. The infusion of resources meant that there was sufficient funding for Wi-Fi inside the library for the first time in many years, and plenty still available for broadband to the building.

As E-Rate policy evolves, library advocacy is still needed. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly illustrated impacts of the digital divide. In response, the FCC launched the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program to help libraries and schools provide the tools and services necessary for remote learning and working. In 2023, recognizing the continued need for connectivity for students beyond the classroom, the FCC developed Learn Without Limits, a program that expanded the use of E-Rate funds to support library hotspot lending programs, Wi-Fi on school buses, and a cybersecurity pilot. Despite the demonstrated need for connectivity off library premises, in 2025 the FCC reversed course, bringing an end to sustainable funding for library hotspot lending through E-Rate.

The USF and E-Rate faced additional challenges in 2025, including FCC v. Consumers’ Research , a court case arguing that the USF’s funding mechanism is unconstitutional. ALA filed an amicus brief supporting E-Rate and the millions of Americans who rely on library broadband. In June 2025, the Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision affirming the constitutionality of the USF programs—a significant victory for E-Rate supporters. However, related legal challenges continue in lower courts in 2026.

WHAT’S ON THE LINE

This year is shaping up to be another active one for E-Rate. While library advocates monitor court action to dismantle the program, congressional action to reform the USF is also in the works. The long-term viability of the USF depends on a stable and sustainable funding model. This means funding for the program should not be part of annual congressional appropriations, and the contribution base should be fairly distributed. Advocates will need to stay on their toes to make sure the E-Rate program has predictable funding that is guaranteed year to year.

The idea of universal service is woven into core values of our nation, from mail service established with the Constitutional Post in 1775 to affordable phone service through the Communications Act of 1934 to advanced telecommunications services with the passage of the 1996 Telecom Act.

Artificial intelligence may be today’s technological conundrum that challenges how libraries can best meet the information literacy needs of their patrons. No doubt before we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Telecom Act, libraries will have weathered continued advancements in technologies that shape how we learn, work, create, and interact with one another. We do not know how we will describe telecommunications in 2056, but if we do our job as advocates, the future version of universal service and the E-Rate program will continue to power libraries to ensure digital opportunity is truly universal.

Marijke Visser is Director of Library Development at the Maine State Library and an ALA policy fellow. Amelia Bryne is a consultant for ALA.