Lack of broadband an urban problem?
There are places in New York City where you can’t get a broadband connection. This surprising news about America’s most populous city is having negative consequences for residents that rely on Internet-based health monitoring services.
According to Computer World, the CTO of one such monitoring company conveyed his surprise at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing. He explained that some residents of NYC were unable to purchase his product because they lacked access to broadband: "To be able to be a heartbeat away from New York City and not be able to get a signal in a structure that had thousands of tenants in it just boggled my mind."
This finding, combined with the more expected – but no more acceptable – lack of Internet in rural communities, where more than half of U.S. residents lack access, reiterates the importance of universal access to broadband.
Lack of broadband in some areas limits telemedicine (Computer World, Apr. 21, 2015)
Enhancing Telehealth Through Connectivity (U.S. Senate, Apr. 21, 2015)
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