NBNCo CEO Mike Quigley stunned pretty well everyone yesterday with the news that he is giving away his first year’s salary of $2 million to medical research. The two big ones go to a project with near-future NBN input: a Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) plan investigate the use of fast Internet connections to offer rehabilitation to stroke patients in remote areas.
Part of the project involves 50 stroke victims in the Kiama Downs and Minnamurra areas of the NSW South Coast training with Nintendo Wii consoles.
Each will take part in 10 one-hour sessions at home over a two-week period. They will be supervised by a therapist in Sydney, who will use the NBN network to receive high quality video images and sensor data, enabling the therapist to monitor the patient’s movements and provide feedback.
Kiama Downs and Minnamurra are among the five “first-release” mainland areas to get NBN services, with first fibre due to light up in coming months.
