Where does it hurt? Using telehealth to improve community broadband

[Commentary] The high rate of rural hospital closures is one factor driving the increasing interest in telemedicine, which uses high speed internet services to connect patients with healthcare providers. What some may not understand is that the push for telehealth may very well be the secret to advancing broadband itself in underserved communities, both rural and urban. By aligning healthcare institutions with schools and libraries that have telemedicine applications and services into a healthcare hub, a community can produce a powerful infrastructure. This infrastructure triple play (health, education, libraries) also can become a fundraising triumvirate.

[Craig Settles is a broadband industry analyst, consultant to local governments, and author of Building the Gigabit City.]