The goal of the workshops will be to promote an open dialogue between the FCC and key constituents on matters important to the National Broadband Plan. Key constituents will include service providers, equipment providers, applications providers, community groups, and other groups that have a stake in the future of broadband. Workshops will consist of meetings held at the FCC. The public will have the opportunity to suggest meeting topics and questions for the workshops. All meetings will be broadcast over the Internet when possible, and archived for viewing at a later time to ensure that everyone has access to the content.

The goal of this workshop is to gather information concerning how and where broadband networks are deployed to provide telehealth services throughout the nation. Specifically, we will identify both the types of health care facilities and areas that have adequate connectivity to telemedicine broadband networks and where connectivity remains lacking. In addition, workshop participants will be encouraged to provide examples of successful telehealth programs and will be asked to identify whether telehealth diagnosis and treatment is covered under medical insurance. Finally, there will be a public safety component of the workshop seeking information how to ensure secure access to electronic medical records and coordination between federal, regional, and local emergency responders, particularly during public health emergencies, disasters or other large-scale events. Information and data obtained in this workshop will enhance the Commission’s understanding of the barriers facing the health care community in accessing broadband telehealth connectivity as the Commission develops the National Broadband Plan.