Communication is extremely important in the healthcare sector. Doctors need to check the updated patient records at the earliest, and any delay can cost someone’s life. Similarly, the IoT healthcare sensors, edge devices, and others should have almost zero signal latency to ensure the data transfer is completed within microseconds. While 5G communication technology can be leveraged to eliminate dead ends and communication silos, there are lots of hurdles in the process.

The first and foremost hurdle the healthcare industry faces is in terms of 5G network deployment. Owing to the striking differences in its metrics and infrastructure aspects when compared to the existing LTE, deploying the changes won’t be easy. Furthermore, the chances of 5G rollout in the healthcare sector are way less than one can expect.

Owing to this, the following article will talk about the factors to consider for seamless 5G deployment in the healthcare sector. Additionally, we will also share a brief insight into its implementation and how the 5G network can benefit.

Factors to Consider for a Successful 5G Private Network Deployment in Healthcare

Until and unless the deployment problems are solved, the 5G network cannot be used properly. As a result, the overall network performance will fall significantly with no reliable and stable performance. In fact, the signal security and privacy will also be put at risk. Owing to this, knowing the factors affecting the deployment’s success for the 5G technology is imperative for all businesses and organizations involved in the healthcare sector.

1. Cost

The most important factor governing the deployment of the 5G network is the cost. Most healthcare organizations need to derive a fixed budget within which the network will be deployed. However, the cost for 5G deployment is not less, owing to the need of numerous small cells and antennas to form the infrastructure. Furthermore, all the communicating devices need to be compatible with the 5G network to establish the connection. This will need another set of investment, which is why preparing the proper budget is imperative. If not, either the business won’t be able to accommodate all the operable devices within the 5G network or there won’t be enough coverage to eliminate communication dead ends.

2. Frequency Bandwidth

One of the most important factors to be considered for 5G deployment and network setup in the healthcare industry is frequency bandwidth. As there can be PIM interference or security issues, businesses can use the mmWave technology. It is basically an ultrahigh frequency range, varying between 30 GHz and 300 GHz. Here, the chances of network interference with the existing one will be significantly low. Also, the mmWave technology is highly scalable. It means that the bandwidth can be increased within this range to accommodate all the users and devices.

3. Number of Users

The success rate of 5G network deployment in the healthcare sector highly depends on the number of users to be accommodated. Small and medium scale enterprises can start with a traditional network infrastructure as they won’t have to scale the infrastructure and accommodate more users within a shorter time. On the other hand, when we consider a growing healthcare organization, it is important to plan for a scalable 5G network. This will help in accommodating any number of users and balance the channel load. So, there won’t be any negative impact on the network performance, reliability, and stability.

4. Existing Communication Infrastructure

Building the 5G network infrastructure from scratch will be next to impossible due to high time and money requirements. This is why businesses should study the existing 4G LTE infrastructure and accordingly plan the modifications needed to make it compatible with 5G. For instance, the larger antennas placed at longer distances can be replaced with smaller ones with reduced distance between one another. Similarly, the BBU components can be replaced with advanced ones that can operate within the mmWave frequency bandwidth. This will reduce the time and money needed to 5G network deployment in the healthcare sector.

5. Latency in Signal Transmission

A successful 5G network deployment can be called when the latency in signal transmission is also negligible. Signal latency depends on numerous factors, including the hardware components, antenna size and distance, communication channels, bandwidth, and uplink and downlink data transfer speeds. So, if healthcare organizations want to deploy the networking infrastructure flawlessly without any error, it is imperative to reduce data transfer latency. This way the signals will be received on the other end within microseconds, ensuring there won’t be communication siloes. Furthermore, healthcare professionals can rely on IoT sensors and edge machines for communicating with the patients.

6. Efficiency and Performance

Last but not least, the network deployment efficiency will depend on efficiency and performance. In other words, if the deployed network fails to deliver the expected reliability and transmission stability, there won’t be any use of this new telecommunication technology. Owing to this, healthcare organizations do need to consider the hardware elements included and the overall infrastructure to make the network more efficient and high performing.

Implementation of 5G Private Network in Healthcare

Following are some of the scenarios where 5G private networks can be implemented for the success of the healthcare industry.

Remote Monitoring and Diagnosis

It is possible for doctors and other healthcare professionals to deliver remote monitoring of patients with 5G. The lower signal latency and higher uplink and downlink speeds are the main reason for this application.

IoT

With the help of 5G, it is possible for IoT devices and sensors to communicate at a faster rate without suffering from any signal delay or quality issue.

AR and VR

5G, when implemented properly, will pave the way for proper use of augmented and virtual reality in the healthcare system.

Furthermore, healthcare companies can leverage network slicing to operate numerous appliances at the same network while maintaining absolute isolation.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shared the six most important factors on which the success of 5G network deployment will depend. Based on these, healthcare organizations and businesses can plan and take necessary steps to avoid failures and glitches. Furthermore, it is important to ensure the network is scalable and adaptable so that there won’t be any issue with future modification deployment. Rest assured, 5G technology when deployed correctly will make communication seamless and secured.