Dear Editor:

I am writing in reference to your column, “Keep staying healthy,” (Aug. 22 issue) and specifically to your request “help find a solution to this problem.”

As the population crosses the 65 age barrier, we must consider how to maintain independent living, good quality of life at an affordable cost. A cornerstone of solutions that addresses these points is technology in the form of “sensors” attached to and or in the body. A simple example of a type of sensor in use today is glucose sensors for diabetics. There are many other sensor examples readily available today so this is not science fiction. These sensors communicate with the individual but more importantly with healthcare professionals and family members as appropriate. How and when these sensors can send/receive data is dependent on the available local network.

As a network solution, the town is currently evaluating how to install a fixed-line broadband solution for the future. The current implementation plan for a fixed-line fiber solution being evaluated may not be the right technical solution for the future. As it implies, a fixed-line is a physical cable to a fixed location, home and or business. If we want our medical sensors to communicate independent of our location in the town and not just when we are at home, we need a network that will allow continuous network access as we go about our lives. Mobility is a key quality of life requirement for all people. Therefore, the town should take this into consideration when implementing any new network. In addition to supporting the medical needs of the town, a static fixed-line network may not be appropriate for aquatic coastal industries. With mobile devices and solutions being the predominant requirement for the future, perhaps we should explore other network options and or how our network will be implemented?

David Howarth
East Boothbay