Older Americans and Broadband: Getting Connected

[Press release] The Federal Communications Commission is working to promote the benefits of broadband service among older Americans. Many older Americans remain on the sidelines of the digital revolution, lagging far behind the generations that have followed. Why the lag? An important factor is that seniors have not been a typical target demographic for early adoption and the lion’s share of product marketing remains focused on younger Americans. As we mark Older Americans Month, the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau is increasing its outreach efforts to seniors, engaging with partners such as the American Library Association in a campaign to help older Americans “Get Connected” with: Loved ones, friends and family, Life-saving telemedicine and telehealth, Life-enhancing social engagement opportunities, and Online shopping featuring home delivery.

We are also launching a new “Get Connected” webpage with seniors in mind while including information relevant to all generations: fcc.gov/connected.  There you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about Getting Broadband, along with Household Broadband and Broadband Speed guides to help you determine what type of service suits you best. The Get Connected web page also links to additional FCC resources and information. Older Americans may also be particularly interested in Connect2Health, with assorted features focusing on healthy aging through telehealth and telemedicine. Broadband access is critical to those services.  

[Patrick Webre is the chief of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau]