E-rate applicants clamor for cybersecurity services

Key points:

• Cybersecurity remains a top concern among school IT leaders, and many schools would like to see these services included in the E-rate program.
• Schools and libraries continue to rely on E-rate funding for affordable internet connections and prices
• See related article: Will cybersecurity receive E-rate funding?
• For more E-rate news, visit eSN’s IT Leadership page

An annual E-rate report reveals strong consensus among respondents for cybersecurity services to be included in the federal program, considering their critical role in protecting educational institutions from cyber threats.

He 13th Annual E-rate Trends Report from compliance services firm E-rate Learning Funds is designed to understand how the program can better serve schools and libraries. Input from schools and libraries is compiled and submitted directly to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to inform program administration.

This year’s survey received 2,110 responses from applicants, corresponding to approximately 10 percent of all E-rate applicants. The report demonstrates consistency in applicants’ reliance on E-rate to ensure faster connections, connecting more students, and lower prices for products supported by the program.

Key findings and comments from the 2023 report include:

• Success of the electronic rate: E-rate is essential to providing reliable and secure Internet connectivity for schools and libraries. Many respondents appreciate the program’s financial support for connecting schools and libraries to high-speed Internet access, particularly in low-income areas. Of all applicants who completed the survey, 88 percent of participants agreed that their educational sites have faster Internet connections thanks to the E-rate program. Eighty-six percent of educators also feel that their students and library users are more connected to the Internet than ever.

“E-Rate has been crucial in helping our schools access higher-speed Internet at an affordable price.” – Arizona School District

“E-rate is a lifesaver for our small rural library. Without it, we would not be able to afford equivalent Internet services.” – Idaho Library

• The need for cybersecurity: The report reveals a strong consensus among respondents in favor of including cybersecurity services in the program. Ninety-three percent of applicants agree that the E-rate program should provide support for comprehensive network security solutions. In December 2022, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Public Notice seeking comment on the potential use of the E-rate program to support next-generation firewalls and other network security services. The response was significant, with hundreds of comments submitted by schools, libraries, service providers, manufacturers, consultants and industry groups. Commenters expressed well-researched examples of the real-world financial and social impacts of network security breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cybersecurity incidents. They urge the FCC to take action quickly.

“As a member of a Cyber ​​Response Team, I have seen many incidents that have occurred that would be resolved simply by having basic cybersecurity protections in place, protections that are expensive for school districts to purchase.” – Wisconsin School District

“I would like to reiterate not only the need for cybersecurity funding from the U.S. government for educational organizations as a matter of improving operations, but also as a matter of improving national security.” – Georgia Library System

• Equitable access and learning gap: Internet accessibility is a constant concern for students and library users. Insufficient Internet access in the homes of students or library users is a major problem in the communities of 90 percent of respondents. The report emphasizes the need for equitable Internet access, especially for off-campus use, to close the homework gap and ensure continuity of learning.

“The biggest problem we have in our rural area is that there is simply no service available to a large percentage of our students’ households in our community.” – Michigan School District

“This year’s Trends Report highlights the remarkable progress made towards connecting schools and libraries; However, it also emphasizes that our work is far from over,” said Brian Stephens, Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Funds For Learning. “E-rate applicants indicate the need for a proactive approach to protect our students and library patrons. By addressing these challenges head-on, we can pave the way to an even better future for education.”

The E-rate program supports nearly all schools and libraries in the United States and annually provides billions of dollars in much-needed support for Internet access and computer networking. More than 21,300 applicants and 3,800 suppliers currently participate in the program.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. She graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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