Veterans are the backbone of the United States. Having risked their lives for the nation in countless locations across the world, they form the essence of society. But, sometimes they face relative obscurity, living in rural areas that do not have access to broadband internet. Such connectivity is critical to using telehealth services, acquiring educational opportunities, and developing a small business or running a family farm.

Sometimes just for entertainment purposes, too, the internet can be a godsend for veterans, and here’s why.

Physical health

When veterans’ years tick on, like every other person in the world, their health somewhat deteriorates. But, with such experiences as veterans have, their physical health may deteriorate at a quicker pace. As such, for those living out in the sticks, the internet is a vital supply of help. 

The provision of remote health care services that are desperately needed but otherwise unreachable can be made reachable by the internet. A veteran’s health is surely the most important thing, given the commitment he or she has made in the past.

Mental health

Just as important, if not more, than physical health is the ability to keep a person’s mental health intact. Naturally, with the experiences veterans have been involved in, it is always important to keep track of or at least enhance their social interactions if living in a rural abode.

Through the internet, veterans can communicate with fellow veterans and can play a wide variety of traditional games like solitaire or blackjack together. There are also a number of online slots platforms that are perfect because rural living with no contact can certainly be lonely and it’s important to ensure veterans are as content and happy as possible with outside communication imperative to achieving that.

Comcast, for example, has given disabled veterans and low-income military families two month’s free internet so they are not without interaction and communication.

Job opportunities

For veterans of any age, getting into a normal routine where earning money through work – which then enables you to live – is key. Some veterans end up homeless which is incredibly sad, but the internet can be a superb resource for those searching for jobs. 

Without it, searching for jobs is often spread by word-of-mouth which is nowhere near as simple as identifying and competing for an array of employment opportunities on the world wide web.

Providing access

Veterans are presented with a number of resources and discounts for serving the nation which can often be the difference between surviving and not for some military families. But, these can only be retrieved through an internet connection, highlighting just how essential broadband can be. Accessing telehealth services, for example, can only be done through a stable and reliable internet connection.

Education

Having left the services, some veterans want to expand their horizons and receive further education. Remote living often limits such opportunities, but with an internet connection, the possibilities of online education are endless. If education is seemingly found, then veterans can also search for the framework to pay for college tuition if necessary, get career counseling, and locate the right school or training program.

Veterans, particularly those in the rural community, deserve to have broadband internet access enjoyed by those who live in urban areas, and addressing this broadband gap will undoubtedly aid veterans’ reintegration into civilian life. Providing as much access and as many opportunities as possible for those who sacrificed their lives for the nation is imperative and the internet could well be a blessing in disguise for many.