— from Governor Inslee’s office —
Gov. Jay Inslee stepped into a small room in a Friday Harbor hospital on Tuesday and faced a large, white screen as if he were going to stand and watch a movie. A Bellingham pediatrician wearing a headset popped onto the screen, introduced himself as Dr. Jim Bochsler and had a live conversation with the governor from 60 miles away.
It was the governor’s first telemedicine experience. But for hospital patients at the PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center, appointments like this could be part of the new normal.
What makes it possible is a strong, reliable internet connection.
Improved medical access is just one way that rural communities will benefit because of the broadband bill that Inslee signed during this year’s session. Inslee visited Skagit County and San Juan County Tuesday to explore how increased broadband access could positively impact a community’s health care, economy, education, and public safety interests.
Read the rest of the story on the governor’s Medium page.
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The fiber optic being distributed across parts of the island left out the neighborhoods between Olga and Doe Bay. Rock Island’s option of line of site 25Ghz transmissions of up to 25 MBPS do not work in areas where there are trees. Guess what Orcas Island has an abundance of? Yeah…trees.
SpaceX is launching Starlink satellites and will very shortly be offering high speed internet anywhere on the planet but also targeted to the northern hemisphere.
Can’t wait to disconnect CenturyLink.