Broadband Communities

NOV-DEC 2013

BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.

Issue link: https://bbcmag.epubxp.com/i/232134

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 29 of 134

are monitoring grain bins and dryers at harvest time for temperature so they don't have to check on the dryer in the middle of the night." As for educational applications, DRN's fber network supports distance learning via videoconferencing. Tis enables local students to take specialized courses such as advanced math and science that are not ofered locally. In addition, one of the local schools recently began giving iPads to all students, which they use at home as well as at school. Te school would not be able to support student iPads without a fber connection, Hauck observes. Even at home, families may require fber connections. Hauck, who has four children, recently calculated that her family needs at least 15 Mbps when all family members are on the Internet at the same time. To help improve health care in the area, DRN is conducting trials of When home health nurses can't visit patients in person, they can check blood pressure and diagnose illnesses via fber connections. webcam diagnostics in collaboration with home health nurses. On days when a nurse is unable to visit a patient in person, the nurse can set up a video link using a PC and a webcam and walk the patient through a series of diagnostic questions. In addition, the patient takes his or her blood pressure using a monitoring device attached to a computer, and the results are sent to the patient's physician. Another aspect of DRN's smart community involves making people in the community smarter about technology. DRN regularly ofers classes on basic computer skills to NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 | www.broadbandcommunities.com help attract seniors unfamiliar with technology. Te company also hosts "tech days" when local residents can try out and ask questions about iPads, digital cameras and other devices. DRN's eforts are paying of in increased broadband subscribership, which increased from just below 50 percent in 2008 to about 80 percent today. v Joan Engebretson is a Chicago-based freelancer who has been writing about the telecom industry since 1993. She can be reached at joanengebretson@cs.com. | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 23

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Broadband Communities - NOV-DEC 2013