Reliable broadband is increasingly essential to how Virginians access education, work, public services, and health care. But having broadband infrastructure in place does not always mean residents have the connectivity or the skills and confidence they need to use it.
To better understand how broadband expansion intersects with health care, the Virginia Telehealth Network spoke with Sarah Sullivan, who serves as an advisor on the Broadband Council, a nonprofit dedicated to helping localities strengthen broadband infrastructure, improve digital readiness, and navigate the complexities of expanding reliable internet access.
Understanding What Communities Actually Need
One of the Council’s key strengths is its technology-agnostic approach. Its expertise spans fiber, satellite, fixed wireless, and cellular technologies, allowing it to assess a community’s needs before determining what solution may work best.
“When we come in and help a community, we can do an assessment to understand what their pain points are,” Sullivan said.
That assessment can include conversations with local departments and residents, as well as on-site speed and latency testing. The goal is to understand not simply whether broadband is available, but whether it is meeting the needs of the people using it.
“We’ve delivered broadband to a lot of locations, but we don’t know, is it enough? Is it working for that community?” Sullivan said.
That question can be especially important in communities with aging infrastructure, where a location may be considered “served” on paper but residents continue to experience slow speeds, outages or unreliable service.
Why It Matters for Telehealth
For the Virginia Telehealth Network, understanding whether broadband actually works for residents is particularly important because reliable connectivity is foundational to telehealth.
A patient may technically have broadband access, but if the connection is too slow or unreliable for a video visit, that access does not translate into meaningful access to care.
“Telehealth can help demonstrate whether broadband access is actually working for a community,” Sullivan said.
But broadband is only one part of the equation. Residents also need to be able to afford and adopt available services and have the skills to use digital tools safely and confidently.
Building Digital Confidence and Cyber Safety
As telehealth becomes a more important way to connect Virginians with care, digital literacy and cyber safety are also important considerations. Patients need to know how to navigate virtual services, use technology effectively, and protect their personal information online.
Sullivan noted that the Council has identified opportunities to help communities address these needs, including digital literacy and cyber safety education.
“It’s not just about digital literacy. It’s also about all the scams out there today and helping to educate communities on what to do and what not to do,” she said.
For telehealth to reach its full potential, communities need more than broadband infrastructure. They need connections that work, residents who can confidently use digital services and the knowledge to stay safe online.
Images in this blog post were provided by The Broadband Council.