Cornerstone Group © 2022 www.facebook.com/ RainbowCommunications RainbowCommunications Broadband is the Backbone for Medical Devices You’ve probably heard of the Internet ofThings (IoT), which includes items like smart refrigerators and smart thermostats. But did you know there’s a subset within this category called the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)? The IoMT covers equipment used in a variety of places: • On body – wearable devices, peripherals, and implants • In home – digital and virtual assistants, activity monitors, and home medical devices • Within the community – automated kiosks and emergency response intelligence • In clinics and hospitals – handheld medical devices, care coordination technologies, and patient/personnel flow tools Broadband has a profound impact on the medical industry by serving as the wired backbone supporting connectivity to the IoMT. Access to broadband is critical for communication between medical devices as more health organizations depend on this technology. Rainbow Communications is working toward a healthier tomorrow by providing broadband Internet service throughout our service area. It’s often called the digital divide. Rural areas of the U.S. have less Internet access than urban areas. High-speed wired connections are less common, and wireless phone service and signals tend to be weaker than in cities or not available at all. According to the FCC’s Eighth Broadband Progress Report, approximately 19 million Americans—6 percent of the population—still lack access to fixed broadband service at threshold speeds. (The FCC defines broadband service as offering minimum speeds of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload.) In rural areas, nearly one-fourth of the population—14.5 million people—lack access to this service. In tribal areas, nearly one-third of the population lacks access.1 Often, it’s not financially viable for big Internet service providers to expand into rural areas. In urban communities, a mile-long cable might pass dozens, or even hundreds, of homes and businesses. Rural Internet requires longer wires —and often special signalboosting equipment —with fewer potential customers from whom to recoup the costs. Even with federal grants designed to make these expansions more affordable, hundreds of U.S. communities are essentially “Internet deserts.” While Rainbow provides a robust broadband network throughout our service area, one of our goals is to advocate for rural areas with limited broadband. That’s why Jason Smith, GM and CEO, recently went to Washington, DC to visit with Senators Moran and Marshall and Representatives Mann and LaTurner about the importance of rural broadband. Smith educated them on the need for continued support in building and maintaining networks for future generations. Independent rural Internet providers, like Rainbow, are best suited to expand broadband in rural areas.They already understand what it takes to provide their communities with broadband connections—at speeds that increase efficiency and help attract businesses and work-from-home residents. However, the FCC and Congress must help fund the investment needed to bridge the digital divide and make broadband service more available and affordable. Rainbow will continue to advocate and educate on behalf of rural America. 1Source: https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-progress-reports/eighth-broadbandprogress-report Rainbow Advocates for Rural Broadband Internet Jason Smith (fourth from the left), Rainbow GM and CEO, stands with Kansas delegates and other NTCA– The Rural Broadband Association members during an April meeting on Capitol Hill.
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