Verizon is tackling the notoriously bad connectivity in hospitals with a new one-two punch. They're offering a neutral host network to boost signals for visitors and a separate, secure private 5G network for critical hospital operations.
What's the deal with hospital connectivity?
Let's be honest: hospital connectivity is usually a bit of a mess. Between the surge in electronic patient records, telehealth appointments, and countless connected devices, hospitals are data hogs. But at the same time, visitors and patients are often stuck in cellular dead zones.
Verizon thinks it has the solution with a two-part system. First is a "neutral host" network. This is basically a powerful, on-site signal booster for the public network. The best part? It works for everyone, whether you use Verizon, AT&T, or a prepaid service. No special logins or authentication needed, just a better signal for patients and visitors.
The second part is the private 5G network. This is the heavy-duty, secure network built just for the hospital's "mission-critical" operations. This handles the sensitive data workflows, connected medical equipment, and future tech, all with dedicated bandwidth and improved security.
According to Verizon, Ericsson is the vendor handling the buildout for both networks. The idea is that a hospital can start with the public-facing neutral host and then "activate" the private 5G as its needs grow.
A solution for hospitals
This move is all about solving two very different problems with one integrated system. Bad cell service is a massive complaint for hospital visitors, and a neutral host system fixes that without putting any strain or security risk on the hospital's own private network.
But Verizon isn't alone here. AT&T is also heavily invested in the private 5G space for healthcare, often pushing its "Private 5G as a Service" to help hospitals adopt the tech without massive upfront costs. What Verizon seems to be doing differently is clearly bundling the public convenience (neutral host) with the private necessity (5G) as a scalable package.
This isn't just about catching up; it's about providing a logical upgrade path. Hospitals are notoriously slow to adopt new tech because of cost and complexity. By saying, "Start with the visitor network, add the critical stuff later," Verizon is making the jump feel a lot less daunting for IT admins.
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Public access vs private operations
This approach just makes sense. The separation of "public access" and "private operations" is critical in a sensitive environment like a hospital. We've all been that person endlessly scrolling in a waiting room, trying and failing to get a single bar of service.
The real test, however, will be the implementation. Hospitals are complex, often old buildings that are absolute nightmares for wireless signals. While Ericsson is a solid partner, rolling this out will be a challenge. Let's hope this rolls out as smoothly as possible.
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