Broadband connectivity is critical to America’s health. Telehealth, providing healthcare services and information at a
distance, is rapidly growing in popularity and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the value of telehealth to the
forefront of national healthcare discussions. The number of hospitals utilizing telehealth more than doubled over the
last decade , with savings for both patient and provider . Additionally, medical platforms and technologies need reliable
broadband to function. Insufficient access could literally be a matter of life and death.

Policies in response to COVID-19 have brought about awe-inspiring growth in telehealth
services. However, there are multiple remaining telehealth issues that all levels of government
need to be aware of.

Public Research Universities Advancing Digital Inclusion: A concept paper by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

Nationally, one-third of adults ages 65 and older say they’ve never used the internet, and half don’t have internet access at home. Of those who do use the internet, nearly half say they need someone else’s help to set up or use a new digital device.

Rural and remote learners are disadvantaged even with online provision due to poor connections. Broadband offers a potential solution. This paper looks at the initial results of a project to install broadband services in the Western Isles of Scotland. It focuses on the educational potential of broadband and the design implications for online courses. It also considers more informal kinds of learning that broadband facilitates in rural areas.