Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Broadband

Emergency Management Resource Guide
An overview of features and functions of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (FirstNet), which agencies might use before, during, and after an emergency. Covers topics applicable for coordinating response in rural and remote areas or when an emergency operations center has been activated. Includes reference links and suggestions for obtaining additional information.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: FirstNet Authority
view details
HRSA National Telehealth Conference Summary Report
Offers a summary of presentations and panels delivered at the May 2022 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and telehealth.hhs.gov National Telehealth Conference. Includes key takeaway points related to telehealth changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, improving access to broadband, resources available through the Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs), and more. Appendices include conference materials and resources.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
view details
Connected Nation Texas Rural Hospital Survey Results
Presents results of a survey of 163 rural Texas hospitals on internet technology use, barriers to using online services for healthcare providers and patients, and ways to expand remote options for rural residents. Addresses internet connectivity and service, cybersecurity, and federal and state grant opportunities to support broadband expansion.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Connected Nation Texas, Texas State Office of Rural Health
view details
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Tribal Playbook: A Roadmap for Delivering Opportunity and Investments in Indian Country
Provides an overview of tribal-specific funding opportunities created by the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, offering guidance to help tribal governments and communities identify programs and sources of funds and determine eligibility for other programs. Outlines tribal set asides by program and other infrastructure funding opportunities that are not tribal-specific.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The White House
view details
Broadband: National Strategy Needed to Guide Federal Efforts to Reduce Digital Divide
Provides an overview of federal agencies and programs that support the deployment of broadband in the United States. Discusses the extent to which these programs are fragmented or overlap, as well as how agencies coordinate their efforts. Offers recommendations to improve the alignment of the various broadband programs, including the development of a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
The Future of Telehealth Roundtable: The Potential Impact of Emerging Technologies on Health Equity
Presents insights and key ideas from a roundtable on the future of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic, covering barriers to telehealth delivery, opportunities for equitable care, and policy and regulatory issues impacting telehealth access. Includes rural mentions throughout.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Committee for Quality Assurance
view details
Stronger Together: Federal Funding and Planning Strategies Designed to Promote Sustainable Economic Development in Rural America
Resource guide offering information for rural communities on planning and technical assistance, infrastructure and broadband expansion, entrepreneurship and business assistance, and workforce development and livability. Covers the purpose, eligibility, application process, and contact information for programs from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and USDA Rural Development in each of these areas.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Economic Development Administration, USDA Rural Development
view details
Broadband Availability Challenges
Fact sheet describing challenges to broadband availability and local efforts to provide short-term solutions. Discusses funding and strategies to expand broadband at the local and national levels.
Additional links: Exploring Digital Equity Fact Sheets
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
view details
Broadband Access Challenges
Fact sheet highlighting barriers to broadband access for rural and underserved communities, addressing infrastructure and affordability issues. Describes policy efforts to increase access through investments to expand broadband adoption.
Additional links: Exploring Digital Equity Fact Sheets
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
view details
Health Panel Comment Letter – Promoting Telehealth in Rural America
Offers comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission's proposed rule for Promoting Telehealth in America. Discusses rural classifications for healthcare providers, defining rural areas for program participation, and an alternative method to determine degrees of rurality.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details