Group Eyes ‘Safe Haven’ for Healthcare Facilities
A subgroup of AAMI’s Wireless Task Force is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create a “safe haven” for interference-sensitive applications in the 5 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band. The group hopes the move will provide institutions offering life-critical applications with exclusive access to a limited number of channels in the expanded band.
In February, the FCC announced it was taking steps to increase available spectrum in the 5 GHZ band to reduce Wi-Fi congestion. The proposal would make up to 195 megahertz of unlicensed spectrum “available for ultra-high-speed, high capacity Wi-Fi—known as ‘Gigabit Wi-Fi’—by up to 35 percent,” FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said at the time.
The group, which is submitting comments to the FCC’s proposal, hopes the commission will consider creating “interference-free” zones in newly allocated spectrum for life-critical applications, as well as crucial applications in other industries. The critical applications would be prioritized to use the spectrum. Other users close to these priority applications would be asked to discontinue use of the spectrum—a move that would affect very few people, according to the group.
The group started out of discussions at the invitation-only Wireless Task Force meeting in Herndon before the AAMI Standards meeting. Vendors such as Mindray, GE, Philips, Masimo, Draeger, and Welch-Allyn are providing input.
Manufacturers have found that the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands offer higher potential data rates; lower costs of entry because of readily available hardware and software; compatibility with existing infrastructure in hospitals; and limitations within the WMTS bands.
While there are benefits to using the other bands, there are also challenges, according to the group’s comments. The 2.4 GHz band has become over-subscribed, so more and more applications have been moved to the 5 GHz band. As more healthcare applications use this band, they face potential disruptions from other users. Also, an increasing number of devices are using the ISM bands within healthcare facilities, thus eating up spectrum and overwhelming hospital IT staff.
Providing locally exclusive access to a few channels on the 5 GHz band would increase reliability; allow for the reuse of commercial solutions; permit access to state-of-the art technology supporting higher data rates; and increase the cost-effectiveness of solutions supporting patient care.
Comments on the proposal must be filed by May 28. To read the Federal Register announcement, please click here.
If you are interested in participating in this subgroup’s efforts, please contact Ken Fuchs at k.fuchs@mindray.com.
Posted: April 24, 2013