The Connect2HealthFCC Task Force’s platform Mapping Broadband Health in America 2023 allows users to visualize, intersect, and analyze broadband and health data at the national, state and county levels – informing policy and program prescriptions, future innovations, and investment decisions. This data visualization tool is especially timely given the recent COVID-19 national public health emergency, when telehealth became increasingly critical to meeting the needs of Americans, especially those residing in rural areas. This experience shifted the way in which many Americans access healthcare.

The 2023 release reflects an important expansion and update of the platform to include maternal health data and opioid mortality rates.  Additionally, the platform now provides more advanced visualizations and analytic functionalities. The updated architecture and methodology allow users greater flexibility and control, as the broadband health space evolves.

To help guide the next phase of our effort to further improve the platform, the Commission, on October 20, 2023, released a Notice of Inquiry to invite public comment and suggestions on ways in which the mapping platform could be expanded, refined, and enhanced.

 

Read the press release. Learn more about the maternal health update. View the navigation guides and FAQs.  Explore the data and methodology.

Sample Maps

View the sample maps for a window into the intersection of broadband and maternal health.

Map thumbnail image: Fixed Broadband Access and Maternity Care Deserts, click for larger image
Map thumbnail image: Rural Fixed Access and Maternal Mortality, click for larger image
Map thumbnail image: Fixed Download Speed and Maternal Deaths, click for larger image
Map thumbnail image: Internet Adoption and Maternity Care Deserts, click for larger image

Potential benefits and uses

Mapping Broadband Health in America 2023 maps can be used by both public and private sectors, and local communities to identify opportunities and gaps in connected care.

  • The maps can help tailor investment and “right-size” public-private partnerships.
  • The maps will be a valuable tool for highlighting areas that might require special attention. They will help stakeholders identify the types of collaborations – public/private, network/applications, and outreach/education – that may be needed to improve connectivity and health.
  • For the FCC and other government agencies, the maps can be used to characterize regions, patterns, and gaps to inform policy, regulatory actions, or reforms.
  • For the private sector, the maps can identify areas where entrepreneurial opportunities for enabling consumer health through broadband exist now.
  • Local communities may find the maps helpful as they allocate resources and focus efforts on leveraging broadband connectivity for health.
  • Over time and with periodic data updates, the maps could also be used to assess continued progress in the connected health space.

Overlay Your Data

To extend the analytic power of the platform, the mapping platform was built using an Open Integration model, putting the power of the platform in the hands - and within the data - of the user and local communities. This allows users to integrate their own datasets. Learn more.

For Developers

Broadband and Maternal Health

  • Download All States:  JSON | CSV
  • Download All Counties:  JSON| CSV

Broadband, Opioids and Chronic Disease

Learn more about open data and open integration.

Provide Feedback

The Connect2HealthFCC Task Force welcomes your suggestions and feedback as we continue to develop and refine the Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. Please submit comments with the Subject Line: "Mapping" to engageC2H@fcc.gov. You may also provide formal comments about the maps or submit additional data for the record via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System, using GN Docket 16-91.

 

 

Updated:
Tuesday, October 24, 2023