Why cellular IoT is the best choice for healthcare systems

Population growth, ageing populations and increases in chronic disease are putting healthcare systems around the world under significant pressure

According to the , global spending on health care reached $9.8 trillion or 10% of GDP in 2021 and the World Health Organisation estimates a shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030.

However, new forms of cellular connectivity including 5G and low power, wide area (LPWA) technology like NB-IoT or LTE-M are increasingly being combined with the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce healthcare costs, optimise scarce resources and improve patient outcomes.

For example, Berg Insight forecasts that the number of cellular connections in Europe’s telecare market will almost double to more than 14.8 million in 2028, while connected home monitoring devices worldwide will also nearly double to 140 million – with about half connected via cellular technologies. Even in developing health care systems, connectivity is helping to build the distribution networks for vital drugs and vaccines, and connect doctors, patients and surgeries in some of the most remote locations.

The benefits of cellular

Cellular connectivity has many inherent benefits for healthcare, including:

Flexibility and mobility

Cellular technology allows hospitals to connect equipment or track assets without needing to install new cabling or Wi-Fi infrastructure. It can also monitor the location and condition of pharmaceuticals in transit as well as connect devices and apps that remotely monitor the health of patients during their daily lives – even whilst they’re on the move.

Security and privacy

Data security is an essential part of the healthcare industry for protecting confidential and often sensitive patient information, as well as remaining compliant in a highly regulated market. Cellular networks offer robust end-to-end security built into the technology with all data encrypted by default.

Reliability and coverage

Whether medical devices need to be connected in the hospital, in a rural area or in an ambulance, coverage and reliability are critical. The pervasive nature of cellular networks, coupled with their independence from local infrastructure such as Wi-Fi router configurations, and the capability of mobile operators to seamlessly roam across multiple carrier networks, guarantees uninterrupted connectivity even in the most remote locations. With 760 partner networks in over 180 countries, Vodafone has been consistently recognised as the market leader in IoT roaming services.

The flexibility, security and reliability of cellular IoT networks can do much to help transform today’s healthcare systems and its global applications. To find out more, please click here: .