As the 2026 filing window progresses, many applicants are making Category One decisions in an environment that feels familiar on the surface, but subtly different underneath. Internet access remains foundational. What is changing is how applicants are pacing their decisions and what those decisions suggest about future demand.
Looking beyond individual applications, year-over-year filing patterns offer useful context. They don’t predict outcomes on their own, but they do reveal how schools and libraries are approaching bandwidth planning in real time.
What the 2025 Data Shows
The 2025 E-rate Trends Report confirms that Category One demand remains steady across applicant types. Most schools and libraries continue to view broadband access as non-negotiable, and they continue to rely on E-rate to make that access affordable.
At the same time, the data shows a shift in emphasis. Median Category One spending per site has stabilized compared to earlier peaks. This reflects lower unit costs and the fact that most schools and libraries have already absorbed the surge of devices added during and after COVID. One-to-one environments tend to remain one-to-one, and bandwidth planning is now occurring on a more stable footing.
This balance — steady demand paired with deliberate planning — shows up consistently across districts and library systems.
From the Data
Category One demand remains stable, but applicants are increasingly focused on aligning bandwidth purchases with actual usage, cost controls, and long-term contracts rather than headline speeds.
Why This Matters for Applicants
For applicants filing in 2026, this context is useful. Category One decisions are often treated as routine, especially for incumbent services. But the data suggests applicants are paying closer attention to questions such as:
- Whether current bandwidth levels still match instructional and operational needs
- How contract terms affect long-term flexibility
- Whether pricing trends justify incremental increases or stability
In many cases, applicants appear to be choosing predictability over expansion. That choice reflects experience. After several years of rapid growth in connected devices and cloud-based tools, many networks have reached a point where performance matters more than raw capacity.
Looking Ahead
Category One planning in 2026 appears to be less about chasing growth and more about managing complexity. Applicants are balancing bandwidth needs with reliability, budget constraints, and contract strategy. That balance is likely to persist as networks continue to mature.
The full 2025 E-rate Trends Report places current filing patterns in a longer-term context, drawing on a decade of request data and applicant feedback to show how broadband planning has evolved — and what it may look like next.
