Satellite internet: Improving healthcare delivery in rural New Zealand

john macaskill smith
John Macaskill-Smith
14th October 2024

Some rural and remote regions of New Zealand are still experiencing unreliable internet connections. If you’re a healthcare provider trying to keep your rural community well, this can severely disrupt services and impact on people and patients’ health and wellbeing. If you’re a person living rurally with a complex health condition this can make things really challenging.

Approximately 20% of Kiwis live rurally, where accessing healthcare is already a challenge1. Reliable connectivity is an essential component of timely care delivery, effective monitoring, medical records accessibility, and collaboration among healthcare professionals. Without stable internet, patients risk delays in treatment and diagnostics, leading to poorer health outcomes.

Reliable connectivity when traditional infrastructure fails

The Ministry for the Environment projects extreme weather events to increase in frequency and severity in the coming years, with adverse impacts on New Zealand’s infrastructure and communities2. These events, including storms and flooding, can disrupt traditional internet infrastructure, further isolating rural areas. Satellite internet provides the solution to this growing issue, offering high-speed, low-latency internet connections, so healthcare providers in these regions can continue to operate even when traditional infrastructure fails.

Critical connectivity for continuity of care

Satellite internet is especially important during emergencies. It allows rural healthcare facilities to maintain connectivity and continuity of care when natural disasters or network failures occur. Additionally, mobile health teams benefit from robust, portable internet solutions that enable real-time communication and access to critical patient data. With a global market growth projection of 6.9% annually, rural healthcare services around the world are seeing the value of satellite connectivity in service accessibility and delivery.

In partnership with Starlink and Netlinkz, we are thrilled to be able to deliver satellite internet and enhance access to healthcare in even the most isolated communities.

We are actively working with Health New Zealand and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network to identify and work with communities that are challenged with variable connectivity. We are currently supporting mobile providers with mobile Starlink that is connected to advanced telehealth monitoring and diagnostic equipment, in other areas we are bringing specialist hospital services closer to home enabling pre and post procedural care.

As we develop these sites we will alongside our partners start to share the outcomes we are achieving – it’s exciting to have the technology enabling greater equity in such a clear way for individuals and communities.

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john macaskill smith
John Macaskill-Smith
Chief Executive
As CEO of Spark Health, John Macaskill-Smith brings extensive expertise in both public and private health sectors to the forefront of digital health innovation in New Zealand. His career includes senior roles at the HFA, MoH, and various private health entities, where he pioneered innovative approaches to sector challenges across New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East, and the UK. John also played a pivotal role in the growth of early-stage health startup Tend, expanding their network from one clinic to twenty seven. His leadership in primary care saw the introduction of the original "Health Care Home," the establishment of Indici, and the integration of Pharmacogenomics during his tenures as CEO of Pinnacle, Midlands Health, and Ventures. At Spark Health, John is dedicated to leveraging advanced digital technologies to enhance patient care and streamline system and service delivery. He is committed to reducing digital inequities across public, primary, community, and private sectors, and improving access to and utilization of primary and community data. In addition to his role at Spark Health, John holds various governance positions in education, animal health, and several startups.
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