5G Will Mean Better Speeds and Telehealth, FCC Chairman Pai Says

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai visited Abilene (KS) Memorial Hospital recently to observe how broadband connects the local emergency department with specialists in South Dakota.  “5G promises speeds that are 100 times as fast as 4G LTE,” Chairman Pai said. “The amount of data that you can send wirelessly will be much greater. Especially in some of these rural communities, 5G could be a significant benefit and not just for telemedicine but for precision agriculture, online education, e-commerce and civic engagement.” Chairman Pai said the FCC has also been focusing on making sure there is both access to the internet and sufficient competition to keep costs down. “That is one of the reasons why the last two years we have focused on bringing new companies in. For example, through the FCC’s subsidy program known as the University Service Fund, we’ve invited other companies to compete for broadband subsidies to build up broadband infrastructure and not just rural telephone companies, cable companies, electric utilities, satellite companies and others,” Chairman Pai said. “Our hope is that kind of competition from other companies using different kinds of technologies will help keep the cost low for residential consumers and heath care facilities like this one.” "I think telemedicine and telehealth solutions are really one of the major positive impacts that broadband availability can have. I am really impressed what Abilene health is able to do in improving patient outcomes, giving people access that they might not otherwise have, reducing costs and otherwise making the community a stronger, healthier place.”