Broadband Development Conference
Utah Education and Telehealth Network, Director of Policy and Communications,
Kelleigh Cole has spent her career working on broadband policy, infrastructure mapping, best practices and collaborative partnerships. As the Director of Policy and Communications at the Utah Education and Telehealth Network, she helps the organization identify opportunities to improve broadband access for schools, libraries, health care facilities and students. She has experience drafting broadband legislation, private consulting, has vice chaired the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. She is passionate about closing the digital divide and believes that broadband access and education can change lives.
The FCC is considering significant changes to the Universal Service Fund, including proposals that could end the E-Rate program. For schools and libraries, the stakes are high: E-Rate has connected millions of students, enabled digital learning, and helped community anchor institutions serve as essential hubs for education, workforce development, telehealth, and public access.
This panel consists of technology leaders, broadband providers, and E-Rate advocates to examine what the FCC proceeding could mean for communities and the market. Panelists will discuss how E‑Rate currently creates stable demand and supports network investment, share frontline experiences negotiating service and upgrades, and identify the policy considerations providers and policymakers must weigh before making major changes. Changes to E‑Rate would alter revenue certainty, procurement practices, and investment calculus for providers, affecting pricing, deployment timelines, and willingness to serve low‑margin or hard‑to‑reach communities. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how E-Rate contributes to the broadband ecosystem keeping America’s anchor institutions reliably connected.
