Research · Issue 01 · November 6, 2026
The 28-day window: where school network money is open right now
What a network installer should know about this year’s E-Rate requests, state by state, before the signing dates pass.
By Rayan · ConnectPros Research
TL;DR
- 1,566 school and library requests for internet, wifi or cabling are open today, meaning their earliest signing date is still ahead (USAC open data, FCC Form 470, funding year 2027, pulled November 6, 2026).
- A school must wait at least 28 days after posting before it can choose a provider (USAC, competitive bidding rules). That window is the whole market.
- Nationwide, about one real school contract in five draws a single bid or none (USAC funding records, as computed by the public schools-market dataset we use).
- The process must stay fair and open, and nothing of value may pass to anyone tied to the school (USAC gift rules). Firms win by bidding well inside the window, not around it.
1. Open requests by state
The twelve states with the most open requests today. “Wifi and cabling” counts requests that include Category 2 work (internal connections). “Can sign by Nov 20” counts requests that can sign within two weeks.
| State | Open requests | With wifi or cabling | Can sign by Nov 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 161 | 90 | 69 |
| Wisconsin | 122 | 54 | 37 |
| Texas | 113 | 57 | 46 |
| California | 108 | 62 | 48 |
| Michigan | 97 | 77 | 53 |
| Ohio | 84 | 64 | 39 |
| Arizona | 75 | 28 | 39 |
| North Carolina | 73 | 28 | 34 |
| Oklahoma | 72 | 35 | 35 |
| Missouri | 64 | 46 | 21 |
| New Jersey | 63 | 24 | 12 |
| Indiana | 60 | 22 | 34 |
Source: USAC open data, FCC Form 470 service requests (dataset jt8s-3q52), funding year 2027, allowable contract date on or after November 6, 2026.
2. Why the window matters more than the posting
A posting is public the day it goes up. Attention is not. A good installer is busy installing and reads the requests near its office. Requests two counties away close without it.
The posting is public. The attention is not.
When a request draws one bid, the school has no comparison to show an auditor. When it draws three, the price question answers itself. More qualified bids help the school as much as the firm.
3. What a firm should check before bidding
Read the full Form 470 and the attached RFP. Some districts require a site visit that has already passed, and a few state that they do not accept marketing email. Bid through the address in the form, before the stated deadline. Never offer anything of value to anyone at the school.
Method
Counts are distinct FCC Form 470 applications. Data is re-pulled every two days; this issue reflects November 6, 2026. Figures are from public government records and are reproducible from the dataset named above.
Rayan, ConnectPros. rayan@connectprosgroup.com