• On January 9, 2013, Chairman Genachowski stated that the FCC will begin accepting applications from rural health care providers and consortia to receive funding from the $400 million Healthcare Connect Fund as early as this summer. The fund was established to enable rural healthcare providers to use broadband for efficient and effective medical care, including the ability to access specialists at major health centers and to exchange electronic health records. The full announcement is available here.
  • The IEEE Power & Energy Society has announced its fourth Conference on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies (ISGT) to be held February 24-27, 2013, in Washington, DC. The ISGT Conference will provide a forum for participants to discuss state-of-the-art innovations in smart grid technologies. According to the announcement, it will feature “plenary sessions, panels, technical papers, and tutorials by international experts on smart grid applications.” Researchers and practitioners from around the world are also invited to submit papers for review and possible presentation at the ISGT Conference. More information about the ISGT Conference is available here