A blog article from Modern Health Talk, a forum and community dedicated to connecting people with information regarding technologies, services, and products in the home health industry, touched on several key points regarding mobile broadband and spectrum issues.
Reiterating the key points from the article:
- The spectrum available to consumers is becoming more and more limited. Consumer demand for mobile broadband services is rising, and mobile Internet data now takes more spectrum than voice calls.
- Mobile devices have shifted from cellular phones used to text message and make calls. Now mobile devices are used to connect people to media and social networking.
- The spectrum crisis threatens productivity, economic growth, and job creation.
The article mentions a policy paper by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) entitled Broadband Spectrum: The Engine for Innovation, Job Growth, and Advancement of Social Priorities, which provides recommendations for the Federal government to assist service providers with expanding the spectrum available. A few recommendations include increasing the pace of spectrum allocation from Federal authorities and creating a more flexible regulatory regime.
Also mentioned in the article, mobile broadband and other technologies have greatly impacted the health care that individuals receive. Mobile Internet provides lower cost services which enable better access to health services for all. Doctors and nurses can now utilize tablet devices and wireless networks to access medical records. Additionally, wireless networks allow health professionals to monitor progress and treatments for patients with diabetes and asthma.
As it relates to health care for Latinos, mobile broadband is essential. Latinos face major obstacles in access to health care, which stems from affordability and availability of services. Mobile Internet provides the Latino community lower cost services and more access to services. To ensure better access, as well as the sustainability of mobile health services, regulators and policy makers must look to solutions that provide universal coverage for mobile broadband and ensure that spectrum is available and properly allocated.
Given statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), which show that over 30% of Hispanics lack health insurance and have a high incidence of asthma and diabetes, the Latino community stands to benefit tremendously from wireless networks that will provide greater access to care and improve the delivery of services for all of our communities.
Thanks for referring to my article on Modern Health Talk. The profound societal benefits from broadband and mobile Internet extend beyond the Healthcare services and also have implications for Education, Innovation and Scientific Discovery, Jobs, Government, Transportation, and even National Security. Distance Learning gives new opportunity to folks unable to attend private schools and universities. TeleWork lets employers hire the best knowledge workers no matter where they are and allows the unemployed to accept jobs anywhere without uprooting their family and selling their homes, many of which are “underwater.” The Internet can even affect the landscape of cities with broadband and wireless access in planned communities away from urban centers.