GSMA recently released a report entitled “Smart Connectivity: How 5G + AI + Big Data + IoT Changes Everything”, which talks about how 5G, AI, big data, and the Internet of Things are integrated, and they will change everything.

5G networks can support the synchronization of a large number of connections, and users can wear a connected health, safety monitor on a regular basis, providing continuous information about heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, stress level, location, and it will sound an alarm in the event of a fall or attack. All of this information helps to help individuals monitor their status, taking advantage of enhanced health insurance plans, predictive healthcare, and personal safety solutions. Smart platforms can use machine learning to help clinicians find patterns in medical data so they can intervene early and help patients take preventative measures, such as changing their diet and getting more exercise.

In the healthcare industry, because 5G can provide constant connectivity, managers can maximize scarce resources and ensure clinics do not run out of critical drugs and equipment. Today, medical professionals are largely constrained by the location of their doctors, and with the tactile internet, it may be possible to diagnose anytime, anywhere.

Phil Skipper, Head of IoT Business Development at Vodafone, said: “In many connected healthcare applications, we are ready to use 4G. 5G can bring vital health services to another level, vital diagnostics, video consultations, patient monitoring It can be done in real-time, from a mobile device with deterministic capabilities. An example of this is the 5G connected ambulance we demonstrated in Milan, which utilizes 5G’s ultra-stable properties to enable critical medical interventions on the move.”

AT&T believes that with edge computing, healthcare facilities can quickly process and transmit extremely data-sensitive images between devices in an examination room. In a press release, AT&T quoted Rush University Medical Center expert Shafiq Rab as saying: “The healthcare system uses a lot of network processing power, and 5G will be a turning point in the use of mobile networks in patient care. Access to edge computing (MEC), the potential introduction of robotics, and the increased prevalence of telemedicine are two areas we are ready to explore. Ultimately, we are all about delivering better outcomes for patients. 5G combined with MEC can lay the groundwork , provide better services for patients and enhance the quality of care.”

With extremely responsive connectivity, clinicians can even remotely control a robot next to a patient to examine the body with full audio visual and haptic feedback technology. With 5G, surgeons can perform remote surgery with specialized robots. Although the first telesurgery was performed as early as 2001, due to the limitations of robots and the immature underlying communication technology, telesurgery is still quite rare.