Public Meeting on Impact on Regulation of Converged Communications and Health Care Devices

Following up on the National Broadband Plan's recommendation to use the power of broadband to improve health care, the nation's lead agencies overseeing communications and medical devices have scheduled a joint meeting to discuss ways to promote investment and innovation in health technology by streamlining government processes.

The joint public meeting on July 26-27 between the Federal Communications Commission and the Food and Drug Administration reflects a commitment by the two agencies to work even more closely to ensure the safety and reliability of wireless broadband-enabled medical devices while increasing their availability to consumers and health care providers. This collaboration is a critical step in the development and approval of new wireless medical devices and applications that hold great promise for improving the quality of health care and reducing costs. The FCC and FDA are also seeking comment on converged communications and health care devices impact on regulation. Comments are due June 25.