The Department of Veterans Affairs and Microsoft are partnering to extend broadband internet connectivity in rural areas, improving access to services like telemedicine for 4.7 million veterans.
The agreement was formalized in April and announced May 22. The partnership will help the VA provide more access to continuous care, while improving efficiency.
"This partnership will serve a particularly vulnerable population of veterans," VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a press release. "Millions of people in the U.S., including many of the 4.7 million veterans living in rural areas, lack the broadband internet connection necessary to access opportunities to learn, work, access information and communicate."
Microsoft is also partnering with the VA in other ways. The tech company recently donated Xbox controllers to VA rehabilitation centers to support muscle activation and hand-eye coordination for veterans with limited mobility.
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