New Wireless Standard Could Benefit Hospitals

Wireless routers have become a staple in the American home and business. With a click of a button, a laptop or smartphone can gain access to a low-latency, high-speed Internet connection. While WiFi standards have been around for over a decade, 802.11n/g standards have limitations that can limit their usefulness in healthcare settings. With next-generation wireless technology, those issues may become a thing of the past.In December, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers will review the 802.11ac next-generation WiFi standard. If ratified, the 802.11ac technology could be found in millions of homes and businesses in only a few years.The new system incorporates several new types of technologies like multiple input-output (MIMO) and channel bonding. According to researchers, 802.11ac operates at three times the efficiency of older systems like 802.11n. For example, the new 802.11ac system could transmit data at a rate as high as 450 Mbps.The 802.11ac WiFi standard also operates on a different set of bands than its predecessors. By operating on 5 Ghz instead of 2.4 Ghz, the new wireless technology offers less interference than 2.4 Ghz.These new technologies could be a boon for physicians and healthcare providers. For example, radiologists could review full MRI images on a tablet from anywhere in a hospital. These massive images could take hours to transmit over a slower connection. Related ContentUsing Risk Management to Successfully Deploy Wireless Medical Devices