Apples to Apples Pricing Comparisons 'Challenging' in Rural Telehealth, GCI Says
To help inform FCC's Rural Health Care Telecommunications Program, GCI Communication sent a report to the agency Friday on promoting telehealth and telemedicine in rural America. The report, penned by The Brattle Group and posted Tuesday in docket 17-130, raises…
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concerns that a benchmark discount paid to telecommunications providers working with rural healthcare providers would likely misrepresent market prices if they attempt to value rural services the same as they would in competitive markets. "Broadband products have become more nuanced and differentiated," the report said. "This makes 'apples to apples' pricing comparisons a challenging exercise." Differences in bandwidth, reliability and contractual terms among different telehealth services and providers add layers of complexity, the report stated. That makes it difficult for telcos to provide the market-comparable data needed to meet certain FCC bidding requirements under the program, it said. Rural telehealth interests want more certainty and better funding from the FCC (see 1901310041).