Broadband can improve life for older people

Broadband technology could significantly improve the quality of life for older and disabled people, according to an industry regulator report. While new broadband technology promises to be much speedier in terms of music and high-definition television, the report indicates that the service could have a much broader range of applications.

The Ofcom advisory committee for older and disabled people has suggested that new broadband services could play a crucial role in services such as remote health monitoring.

Other services that could be of particular use to older people include social interaction, teleworking and life-long learning programmes, according to an article in Broadband Finder.

The article however also notes that there are many barriers that need to be eliminated before such services can truly become accessible to everyone who needs them. Lowering costs is for example one of the big issues, along with privacy and confidentiality concerns.

Furthermore, older and disabled people will also have to be educated to understand the possibilities that next-generation broadband services hold for them.

If recent reports regarding the increasing use of online technology among the over-50 population, this should not be too difficult to achieve.

Committee chairperson Jo Connell said: "This report offers a glimpse into the potential services and how this new technology could help to transform many older and disabled people's lives."

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