As the students flood the halls of campuses, from Pre-K to higher education, we in the IT industry have one thing on our mind … Networking! Hardware, security, connectivity: All are essential aspects of a campus IT environment to ensure uninterrupted student learning. As the start of the school year approaches, campuses face budget constraints, aging infrastructure, political uncertainty around funding, and growing bandwidth demands.
Curvature and E-Rate provide effective avenues for campus IT departments to source affordable hardware and resources. Both have their advantages and disadvantages for various-sized deployments and needs.
What is E-Rate?
The Schools and Libraries E-Rate provides subsidized discounts to eligible schools toward telecommunications services, internet access, and internal hardware infrastructure. The program is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Education institutions must apply to be eligible for the program, sift through external bids, and submit the winning bid they choose for approval. The process from start to procurement often takes over a month. It is more advantageous for larger projects that have flexible deadlines.
The main similarities and differences between Curvature and E-Rate are shown below.
| Feature | E-Rate | Curvature |
| Discounts | Federally subsidized (20-90%) | No government subsidies, but deeply discounted hardware (up to 90% off the manufacturer) |
| Products | Covers eligible Category 2 hardware: routers, switches, cabling, Wi-Fi access points | Same product categories, but includes pre-owned, refurbished, and legacy models |
| Procurement Process | Requires public bidding (Form 470), 28-day wait, and USAC/FCC review | Simple, fast procurement with no waiting periods |
| Lead Time | Extended due to bidding procedure, review, and approvals |
Rapid fulfillment, often same-day shipping from global inventory |
| Product Availability | E-Rate-certified vendors (OEM) for compliance | New, pre-owned, or legacy gear (ideal for hybrid environments) |
| Internet and Data Services | Covers Category 1 services like broadband internet and data transmission (WAN, fiber, circuits) | Does not provide services |
| Contract Flexibility | Multi-year contracts, restricted upgrade paths | No manufacturer lock-in, flexible upgrade paths |
| Support and Warranty | Manufacturer or partner-provided, only available for E-Rate eligible equipment | Lifetime hardware warranty or Park Place’s guaranteed SLA and TAC support |
When Curvature Makes the Most Sense for Schools
Curvature is an asset when:
- Schools don’t qualify for E-Rate or are underfunded despite applying
- Institutions need quick-turnaround network gear outside E-Rate’s long process
- Districts are managing hybrid environments (mix of old and new technology)
- IT teams are looking to stretch budgets beyond what E-Rate discounts can achieve
When E-Rate Makes the Most Sense for Schools
E-Rate is an asset when:
- Schools are planning a major, district-wide network overhaul and qualify for funding
- Institutions need internet access, broadband, or WAN services
- The timeline for acquiring equipment is flexible, and the school can wait several months for approvals and equipment
Understanding your Project Parameters
The primary distinction between E-Rate and Curvature lies in procurement speed and equipment availability. E-Rate and similar public bidding programs follow a structured, multi-phase process — from competitive bidding to vendor selection and final approval. While effective for projects with flexible timelines, this process can introduce delays that may not align with urgent or fast-moving IT initiatives. For schools or institutions needing to deploy equipment quickly — whether to resolve immediate infrastructure gaps or to prep well ahead of deployment — Curvature offers a faster alternative. Our ability to source hardware a la carte, often with limited lead times, allows IT teams to stay on schedule and mitigate risks associated with burn-in failures or configuration setbacks.
Another key differentiator is hardware scope. E-Rate is limited to new equipment from approved vendors, whereas Curvature offers a wider range of options — including pre-owned, legacy, and current-generation gear, opening a lot more options. It’s a great fit if you’re looking to expand or replace parts of your current setup.
Support and Maintenance Strategy
We can’t forget about the support and maintenance of hardware once it’s been procured. While E-Rate doesn’t directly provide support, it does fund basic maintenance for eligible equipment — known as Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections (BMIC). This includes things like hardware repairs, bug fixes, and software updates, but only when directly tied to eligible E-Rate-funded equipment. The support is reactive (not proactive) and must be included in the E-Rate funding request; it does not automatically apply to all E-Rate purchases, nor is it guaranteed unless properly filed and approved. Equipment purchased outside the program is not eligible for E-Rate-funded maintenance.
More advanced support services — like managed services, proactive monitoring, or manufacturer maintenance contracts (e.g., SmartNet, ProSupport) — typically don’t qualify for E-Rate discounts and are purchased separately.
In contrast, Curvature doesn’t bundle support automatically, but offers a full suite of customizable support options through Park Place Technologies, a leading third-party maintenance provider. Park Place services can save customers 30–40% on support costs compared to OEM contracts. And because Curvature is part of Park Place Technologies, customers benefit from a simplified, bundled approach — hardware and support from one provider. This unified model makes it easier to manage assets, track contracts, and replace or upgrade hardware quickly and efficiently.
Depending on your institution’s needs, both solutions are viable options for fulfilling networking needs.
Need help identifying where Curvature fits your IT strategy? Let’s talk.
