Verizon is partnering with Emory Healthcare on a 5G healthcare lab to be known as the Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub (EHIH). The Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network has been activated at the lab, where researchers will explore medical uses for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) using 5G.
Verizon says the bandwidth and speed of its 5G network will enable real-time data analytics and the ability to help patients with connected ambulances, remote physical therapy and next-generation medical imaging. The project will test 5G’s impact on AR/VR medical training and empower telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. The network also will enable point of care diagnostic and imaging systems that will be available from the ambulance to the emergency room.
“The potential of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband combined with mobile edge computing to transform healthcare is limitless,” Verizon Business Group CEO Tami Erwin said in a press release. “Which is why Verizon is partnering with Emory to explore the 5G future of patient care. With 5G, doctors should be able to do things like create holographic 3D anatomical renderings that can be studied from every angle and even projected onto the body in the OR to help guide surgery.”
Carriers and their ecosystems are working hard to develop use cases for the massive amount of bandwidth and great speed promised by 5G. In addition to 5G medical applications, these efforts fall into several areas, including those that help society, those that enhance entertainment and those aimed at businesses.
There are many examples of these efforts:
- The Verizon Built on 5G Challenge, which was introduced last April. It is an attempt to find products, services and applications in all three categories.
- In July, it was reported that AT&T and Badger Technologies, a product division of Jabil, were working together on autonomous retail robots controlled via wireless 5G.
- In September, HAAS Alert worked with Sprint on a 5G vehicle-to everything pilot in Chicago. The idea was to showcase public safety applications.
Carriers believe that innovations must be developed to justify the significant investments that 5G requires. This is especially important because advanced LTE platforms are capable of supporting most current services and applications.
