Key takeaways
- The FCC set the E-Rate cap for funding year 2026 at $5.2 billion; USAC estimated $3.515 billion in demand, including $1.701 billion in Category One (internet and data connections) requests.
- Common ways agencies buy telecom and wireless services: GSA Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS), GSA MAS SIN 517312, GSA MAS SIN 517410.
- Rules to plan for: NDAA Section 889, FCC Covered List (Secure Networks Act), E-Rate competitive bidding and gift rules.
- A contract vehicle or vendor registration makes buying easier, but it doesn't create demand. The vendors that win reach program owners before budgets and bids are set.
Who buys telecom and wireless services in government
Purchases of telecom and wireless services happen across federal agencies, states, counties, cities, school districts and colleges, hospitals, tribal governments, special districts and public utilities. The people you'll deal with usually include:
- Federal agency telecom managers, network operations teams and CIO offices
- State central IT/telecom agencies and state procurement offices
- County and city IT directors and telecom coordinators
- Police, fire, EMS and 911 directors (public safety broadband and radio)
- K-12 E-Rate coordinators, district technology directors and library directors
- Higher ed network and telecom offices
- Utility and transit operations and field-services managers (fleet and field wireless)
The purchasing office runs the process, but the program owner who has the problem usually decides what gets bought. Reach both. See government buyer roles for how they work together.
The government telecom and wireless services market
- The FCC set the E-Rate cap for funding year 2026 at $5.2 billion; USAC estimated $3.515 billion in demand, including $1.701 billion in Category One (internet and data connections) requests. (FCC Wireline Competition Bureau public notice DA 26-460 (May 11, 2026))
- As of January 31, 2025, 188 federal agencies (6 large, 16 medium and 166 small) had completed their transition to GSA's Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract. (GSA EIS transition page)
How agencies buy telecom and wireless services
Small purchases under an agency's threshold can often be made with a quote or a purchase card. Larger purchases need a formal bid or an existing contract. These are the contract vehicles agencies commonly use for telecom and wireless services:
| Contract vehicle | What it is |
|---|---|
| GSA Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) | GSA's main federal contract for telecom and network services (voice, data networks, SD-WAN, cloud integration, satellite); awarded in 2017 and scheduled to sunset in 2032, with GSA doing market research on a successor. |
| GSA MAS SIN 517312 - Wireless Mobility Solutions | GSA Schedule SIN for wireless carrier plans, devices and mobility services. Eligible for state and local cooperative purchasing. |
| GSA MAS SIN 517410 - Commercial Satellite Communications Solutions (COMSATCOM) | GSA Schedule SIN for commercial satellite communications. Eligible for cooperative purchasing. |
| NASPO ValuePoint Wireless Voice, Data & Accessories 2019-2029 | Multi-state cooperative contract for wireless voice and data plans, devices and accessories, with carriers such as Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile. |
| NASA SEWP VI | Federal GWAC that covers IT and communications products and services. |
Thresholds differ by state and agency; see our state procurement thresholds. For which cooperatives cover which categories, see cooperative contracts by category.
Rules and requirements for selling telecom and wireless services
| Requirement | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| NDAA Section 889 | Federal agencies cannot buy telecom or video surveillance equipment or services from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision (Hangzhou) or Dahua, and cannot contract with companies that use such equipment as a substantial part of any system. |
| FCC Covered List (Secure Networks Act) | Federal universal service funds, including E-Rate, cannot be used to buy or maintain equipment or services on the FCC's Covered List of national security threats. |
| E-Rate competitive bidding and gift rules | Schools and libraries must post FCC Form 470 for at least 28 days before choosing a provider; providers may not help write the Form 470 or RFP and may not offer gifts, rebates or free services. |
| EIS fair opportunity ordering | Federal agencies place EIS task orders through fair opportunity competition among EIS contract holders, so a telecom provider needs to be an EIS prime or team with one to win most federal network work. |
Requirements vary by agency and contract. Read each solicitation's terms, and check with the buyer when in doubt. This isn't legal advice.
Buying signals to watch
These events often mean an agency will buy telecom and wireless services soon:
- A carrier or network contract is nearing expiration, or a legacy contract is being shut down (for example, GSA local telecom contracts ending before May 31, 2026)
- A school district or library files an E-Rate FCC Form 470
- Copper landline (POTS) lines are being retired or a phone system reaches end of life
- A new building, campus or 911 center is being built or renovated
- Federal broadband, public safety or resilience grant money is awarded to the agency
For more, see our guide to government buying signals and the contract expirations guide.
A sales process for selling telecom and wireless services
- Register. Get into SAM.gov for federal work and each state or local vendor portal you'll sell into. Use our vendor registration checklist.
- Pick your path to purchase. Decide which contract vehicles above fit your target buyers, and whether a reseller or partner already holds one.
- Build the target list. Identify the agencies with the need, the budget and the buying authority, and the people who own the problem.
- Start conversations early. Reach program owners while budgets and requirements are still being written, not after an RFP is posted.
- Follow through to purchase. Help the buyer pick the method, whether a cooperative purchase, quote or formal bid. When a bid comes, use our RFP response guide.
How KSG helps you sell telecom and wireless services
Kensington Sales Group runs outbound sales development for companies selling to the public sector. Our SDRs research your target agencies, find the program owners and purchasing contacts, and book meetings for your sales team across Federal, SLED, K-12 and higher ed, healthcare, tribal, special district and utility markets. We also run bilingual English and Spanish outreach across the Western Hemisphere.
For example, we contacted 200+ federal agencies for Verizon and produced 22 qualified leads in one quarter (read the case study), and we ran a year-long FirstNet campaign for Hyperion Partners, contacting 5,000+ public safety agencies for a 4.5x ROI in 12 months (case study).
See how our outsourced SDR service works.
Sources
- FCC Wireline Competition Bureau public notice DA 26-460 (May 11, 2026)
- GSA EIS transition page
- GSA Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS)
- GSA MAS SIN 517312 - Wireless Mobility Solutions
- NASPO ValuePoint Wireless Voice, Data & Accessories 2019-2029
- NASA SEWP VI
- NDAA Section 889
- FCC Covered List (Secure Networks Act)
- E-Rate competitive bidding and gift rules
Checked November 2, 2026.