FCC chair Ajit Pai has proposed providing extra funds for the FCC's Rural Healthcare Program, which is a Universal Service Fund subsidy for broadband-facilitated diagnosis and treatment.
Pai said the boost was to address a funding "crisis."
The current cap on the annual fund, launched in 1997, is $400 million, but Pai has circulated a proposal to the other commissioners that would raise the cap to $571 million, saying that demand has outstripped the supply of money.
Related: Pai, Minow Team to Promote Telehealth
Pai pointed out that the cap did not have an inflation adjustment and that the new figure is simply 1997's $400 million in 2018 dollars.
In a statement, Pai indicated his interest in the program was personal as well as professional.
"As the son of two doctors in rural Kansas, and having visited telemedicine projects from Alaska to Florida, I understand the critical role that broadband plays in giving patients in rural areas high-quality health care services," he said.
