STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWKSI
Re:
Expanding Broadband Access and Spectrum Availability for Healthcare
Like today's first item, this presentation reminds us of the power of broadband as a
platform for innovation in one of the largest sectors of our economy health care. Broadband
and other wireless technologies are improving the quality of medical care, while lowering costs.
Earlier this month, I visited the Oakland Children's Hospital & Research Center and
announced that up to $400 million in annual funding will be made available to healthcare
providers as part of the FCC's new Healthcare Connect Fund. This program will enable the
creation of broadband networks to support telemedicine, opening up a world of possibility and
new opportunities for rural clinics, such as accessing the resources and specialists at urban
medical centers or providing instant access to electronic health records.
More high-speed connectivity will fundamentally transform health care in America,
whether mobile, fixed wireless, or wireline. New innovative applications are being created to
allow doctors to administer better care, give patients more mobility and independence, and
reduce administrative costs across the health care system. Moreover, with health care costs
adding up to almost 18 percent of the country's GDP, wireless technology has the power to
disrupt this sector and catalyze tremendous economic growth.
Today, we're seeing new types of tiny microsensors that continuously transmit vital
patient information back to his or her physician. An ingestible microsensor the size of a grain of
sand can send a signal via a patient's mobile phone to ensure that the patient is taking their
regular medication.
Telemedicine is offering new ways for doctors to leverage resources and specialists that
are located many miles away, as we will soon have a chance to witness in the telemedicine
demonstration with the FCC Pilot project clinic in Bacon County, Georgia.
As you have just heard, the FCC has worked to support wireless and wireline
connectivity for health for many years, including the original Rural Health Care Program created
out of the Universal Service Fund in 1997, and our Office of Engineering and Technology's
ongoing work to expand spectrum access for wireless medical devices.
Since then, the National Broadband Plan set forth several recommendations on how we
could act to accelerate adoption of health technology. I am proud of the work that the agency
has done to expand our health programs over the last four years, including creation of a new
Healthcare Connect Fund, entering into an unprecedented partnership with the FDA, and
engaging the private sector through the mHealth Summit and Task Force.
I also want to recognize the leadership of Secretary Sebelius at HHS, Peggy Hamburg
from FDA, and the innovative work being conducted by federal agencies such as the Center for
Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and the National Institutes of Health, to test out new
payment options and ways to serve our most vulnerable populations with health IT, and their
efforts to evaluate and create shared data around new health technology advances.
However, there is still much that we can do to ensure that these technologies are safe and
able to work harmoniously in a hospital setting. With so many new devices available, a small
health care provider may not have access to the best information about what works and doesn't
work for their facility.
The Order we just approved reforms the experimental licensing program here at the FCC,
and creates the possibility for a testbed for wireless medical devices. Our Office of Engineering
and Technology, led by Julius Knapp, will begin the process of reaching out to our federal
agency partners as well as the private sector with the goal of creating testbeds that are
specifically designed to advance the development and deployment of wireless technology for
health care applications.
With the May 2012 order on Medical Body Area Networks, America became the first
country in the world to allocate spectrum for this purpose. We must continue to lead the world
in health technology innovation. Today's order is one great step toward encouraging thorough
testing and evaluation, creating networks of health care providers, and increasing information
sharing.
Many thanks to the terrific team from the Georgia Telehealth Partnership and Coffee
Regional Medical Center for joining us today both in person and via the excellent telehealth
video demonstration.
Thank you to Julius Knapp and Linda Oliver for your outstanding leadership on these
issues, and to the Wireline Competition Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
STATEMENT OF 
