Schools, Libraries are Obvious Setting for Telehealth

When communities design broadband infrastructure to facilitate healthcare and telehealth delivery, they obviously plan to connect medical practitioners’ hospitals, offices, and other healthcare facilities. Network connections to homes are growing in importance as government policies and market forces favor telehealth deployments. What about schools and libraries? In many communities, school districts and libraries outperform broadband in people’s homes. For example, the Federal Communications Commission through it its E-Rate fund gives schools and libraries hundreds of millions of dollars to build higher speed networks. Subsequently, these institutions often have the fastest broadband connections in the community. Logic and need, therefore, seem to dictate that communities consider telehealth delivery in schools and libraries. School administrators and parents prefer that students, teachers, and parents spend as little time as possible out of school for sickness or traveling to doctors’ offices. Libraries reach out and touch virtually everyone in their communities across the entire economic spectrum.  

[Craig Settles consults with municipalities and co-ops about their broadband networks’ business and marketing plans]