Emphasizing the move towards broadband, the FCC unanimously approved the notice of proposed rulemaking so that the public can have a chance to release input as to whether or not it agrees with the changes to the program.
Funded by an 11 percent tax on international and long-distance phone services from the Universal Service Fund, the plan would give “patients in rural areas access to state-of-the-art diagnostic tools often available only in the largest medical centers,” according to FCC officials.
“Many rural clinics and hospitals lack affordable access to basic broadband that can handle simple telemedicine functionality,” said Julius Genachowski, chairman of the FCC. "In the 21st century, high-quality health care depends on broadband connectivity," Genachowski said. "These are clinics at the farthest reaches of the United States, and in the center; in small town Appalachia, in the great Northwest plains, in the vast deserts of the Southwest, and in virtually every region of our country.”
Making note of the fact that the current program from USF is under-used, the FCC indicated that the direction of the program will move away from telephones and into broadband. These changes may have an effect on local and regional broadband networks which may require the FCC to team up with health-care providers in order to expand the reach of broadband to 2,000 more hospitals.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Juliana Kenny
Quelle/Source: TMCnet, 16.07.2010
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