Affordability

Source: KPBS Public Broadcasting California

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined state and federal officials Tuesday to launch the California Telehealth Network, intended to bring medical care to underserved areas statewide.

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Source: San Luis Obispo Tribune

California is tweeting and Skype-ing at breakneck speed, moving too fast for many people and leaving them on the wrong side of what sociologists call a digital divide.

Last week, the county Board of Supervisors voted to support a statewide effort to close that gap, joining in a move to promote “Get Connected” — a public awareness campaign to close the digital divide by shrinking the numbers of those without access to the Internet.

Source: Government Technology

It might come as a surprise that in California - home of Silicon Valley -- there are still communities without access to high-speed Internet. But the state's geographic diversity -- from desert to mountain to coastal terrains -- poses challenges for broadband providers, leaving more than 44,000 square miles (about the size of Kentucky) unserved or underserved, according to Sunne Wright McPeak, president and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund.

Source: eweek.com

The California Telehealth Network is an effort to create the nation's largest health care IT wireless infrastructure so doctors can monitor patients remotely, particularly patients in rural areas.

California has formed what it says is the United States' largest telehealth network to deliver medical care to patients in rural and underserved areas.

Source: San Diego Public Policy Examiner

Urban underserved communities, rural areas, and many Indian tribes still face a large gap in broadband access. Vice President Joe Biden announced, on Wednesday, August 18, the federal government added more grant funds for the slow growth communities.

Source: Information Week

"There is great need for more accessible acute and specialty care in medically underserved areas across California," U.S. CTO Chopra said in a statement. "With the $22.1 million in grant funding from the FCC, along with $3.6 million in matching funds from the CETF, the CTN will help improve access to quality healthcare in rural and medically underserved areas, over a secure, managed network enabling the delivery of emerging eHealth and telemedicine services."

Source: MassDevice.com

The public-private California Emerging Technology Fund, the University of California — which administers the system — and companies such AT&T Inc. also provided funding for the project. AT&T landed the contract to build a medical-grade telecommunications system, according to the university.

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Source: New America Foundation

For many rural areas of the country, telemedicine has long been more of an elusive dream than an everyday reality. And the challenge of getting up-to-date specialty care and continuing medical education into underserved areas has taken a back seat, on many occasions, to the challenge of creating interoperable electronic health records and streamlining the transmission of clinical data between hospitals and physicians.

Source: Sacramento Press

Source: Sacramento Business Journal

Congresswoman Doris Matsui wants to fill the need for speed — at least on the Internet. California will receive $205 million for seven broadband projects from the federal stimulus, giving mostly low-income communities access to high-speed Internet access.