Over the course of the pandemic, telehealth has firmly established itself as a staple of healthcare; providers and healthcare organizations initially had to scramble in order to implement the service, lest they be left behind by those who already offered it, or were quicker to the draw. However, as fantastic an option as telehealth presents for those looking for healthcare services during (and most likely even after) a pandemic, there remains a bottleneck in our existing infrastructure that is preventing it from reaching its full potential broadband.

Let’s take a look at all of the ways broadband is hindering the growth and adoption of telehealth.

Broadband: a necessity

The fact of the matter is that broadband internet is a requirement for telehealth; patients that do not have access to internet connections of the required speed will simply not be able to access telehealth services. This change in the way healthcare is delivered means broadband access is now an extremely important determinant of social health.

This makes the lack of access to it that much more concerning. Over 14 million urban homes and 4 million rural have no broadband, according to studies[1]. When taking into account the lack of reliable transportation and paid time off that many Americans are afflicted with, telehealth could prove an invaluable resource to the general public, especially those that have long-running health issues, or those without access to primary care providers or insurance.

Unfortunately, simply getting broadband to more homes will not be enough to solve these problems. A variety of other issues, including redlining, economic difficulties, and politics have left many low-income communities with obsolete and inefficient infrastructure. There are billions spent every year by the government to upgrade this outdated infrastructure, however, most of this funding is wasted by large telecom and cable providers before broadband is brought to homes.

Capacity: the root of the problem

The terms “capacity” and “speed” are often thrown around interchangeably when discussing broadband; this is simply not accurate. The latter refers to how fast data gets from one point to the other, while capacity is necessary for the data to move at all. While the potential exists for every household in the nation to have access to high-speed broadband, the infrastructure needed to support that reality simply does not exist. As it stands, even with high-speed broadband available, many will struggle to utilize it as their networks do not hold the capacity to facilitate a large enough number of users.

[1] https://www.digitalinclusion.org/digital-divide-and-systemic-racism/