5G is the newest generation of cellular network technology. With the surge in internet use and demand for high-bandwidth rates, the advent of 5G was inevitable. Currently, network service providers are working on the technology to implement and enhance the use of 5G. However, people are suspicious about the 5G pros and cons health based reports.
Undoubtedly, communication leaders have deployed the 5G technology as they observed revolutionary bandwidth throughput and lower latency. The addition of the 5G technology to bandwidth-intensive medical devices and mobile systems can definitely benefit the overall health IT infrastructures.
5G promises transformative connectivity that will fuel robotics, data transfers, and other services that are fluent and cost-effective. However, some downsides reported by a few reports display the potential harms that 5G can bring to human health.
Let’s check out the goodness and perils of 5G in the healthcare system.
How does 5G Work?
Before you jump straight to 5G pros and cons health, you better have a precise idea regarding how this cellular technology works. Additionally, 5G can improve our experience with data transfer and other technology advancements. Since video calls, online streaming, etc., became part of everyday life, people felt bothered by the buffering, latency, and uneven network coverage.
Probably, the fifth generation of cellular technology or 5G, can resolve all these challenges. To cope with coverage, speed, and responsiveness, communication operators proposed the 5G technology. For example, Verizon’s 5G network can offer a speed of 1 gigabit per second. That’s 100 times faster compared to any typical 4G connection.
5G networks utilise cell sites, dividing the entire territory into sectors. Then, the network sends encoded data via radio waves. Every cell site should connect to a backbone via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. 5G is different in terms of how it encodes data and gets more airwaves options.
On the other hand, 5G can operate on different frequencies, unlike 4G. In addition, 5G deploys millimetre waves or higher radio frequencies to transmit data faster. Also, users can use slicing to reduce the risk of network overloading.
How will 5G Change Healthcare?
If you are thinking about how 5G can benefit or spoil healthcare sectors, this guide is for you. Verizon, AT&T, and more healthcare applications and hardware providers have tested 5G technology to check how it can make a difference. Let’s start with the positives among the 5G pros and cons health related concerns.
Prompt & Reliable Transfer of Medical Data
The speciality of 5G is its light-blazing speed. Adding 5G to the existing medical IT infrastructure will assist in quickly transporting medical data and files. Moreover, sending imagery documents such as PET and MRI scans will be a seamless approach.
For instance, the PET scanner of the Austin Cancer Centre produces larger files. And, the data transfer rate should be 1 gigabit per second per patient. Transmitting such huge data can be a challenge for low-bandwidth networks. As a result, the transmission might consume hours or worse, and it can fail.
The patient must wait longer to get the deserving treatment, which can be a significant delay. However, 5G can solve this issue efficiently by elevating the data transfer speed.
Medical Facilities will be Available Anytime, Anywhere
With the help of the Internet of Things, 5G can bring a revolutionary change to the overall medical and healthcare sectors. Real-time and high-quality mobile-based videos will help patients connect to doctors, even outside their areas.
Telemedicine will become more feasible with the growth of 5G technology. Patients from rural and urban areas can contact doctors and get treatments as soon as possible. Right now, telemedicine practicality is lower in rural areas.
However, we hope that 5G will help eliminate the barrier eventually. Market Research Future mentioned in one of their reports that an annual growth rate of 16.5% is expected from 2017 to 2023.
Improved AI Metrics for Accurate Diagnosis
The innovation of Artificial Intelligence has taken the world by storm for solid reasons. Not to brag, but Artificial Intelligence can deliver promising results with diagnosis and treatments. Also, it can propose the best treatment for particular patient history and predict the risks of post-treatment or operations.
One of the pros and cons of 5G health risks is that the high-bandwidth efficiency can help implement this whole concept. A huge amount of data must be processed for the required real-time learning curve. Only 5G cellular technology can handle such enormous data due to its broader bandwidth and reliable networks.
Helpful for Robotic Surgery
It’s not a secret anymore that robotic surgeries are happening worldwide. However, the surgery is not independent and still requires a doctor or surgeon at the place of surgery in case of any complication.
Additionally, 61% of people believe that robotic surgery should be supervised by an expert surgeon to avoid accidents. Remote robotic surgeries require a strong and stable communication channel. So experts can receive huge data and analyse them for better and more accurate surgery.
Not to mention, the overall process requires 5G network speed to rely on remote robotic surgeries. With 5G technology in use, reducing latency up to 1 millisecond is possible. This will seamlessly connect surgeons to a remote robot engaged in remote surgery.
AR & VR in Surgery and Rehab Therapy
Augmented and Virtual Reality can work on patients’ chronic or acute pain and anxiety. AR and VR technologies distract patients from anxiety or painful-driven experiences. This therapy can range from injecting a needle to childbirth experiences.
In addition, medical students and doctors utilise VR to practise and stimulate operations. This motivates them before going for an actual operation. However, implementing VR experiences can be expensive and time-consuming with the current 4G technology.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality require 5G cellular technology to reduce the latency and improve the speed. Thus, patients can enjoy a fully-mobile experience, and the latency will be minimised efficiently. VR and AR treatments will turn entirely wireless with the help of 5G.
5G Cons in the Healthcare System
The fear of adapting to something new is always there. Recently constructed 5G towers have become the centre of controversy already. Different organisations have claimed that additional radio waves of 5G can cause complicated health problems among species, including humans.
Let’s check out the possible 5G pros and cons health risks:
Associated Health Concerns
Several organisations have tested the effect of 5G radio waves, and they claimed some spine-chilling facts. The exposure to extra radio waves of 5G might induce oncologic and non-oncologic effects. This includes metabolic, neurologic, reproductive, and microbiologic changes.
However, carriers have been denying all these. The World Health Organisation, National Cancer Society, and other reputed organisations have concluded that there are no adverse effects have been reported in human beings for the 5G radiofrequency energy exposure.
Installation of 5G Towers and Antennas
With all these rumours and doubts about 5G technology, people aren’t convinced that the cellular protocol is safe. Now, the 5G technology requires small and nearby antennas to keep up with the consistency in the network.
Urban residents of California, Oakland, and other places are resisting such tower installations near their homes. They are afraid that powerful electromagnetic waves emitted from those towers and antennas can disrupt their health conditions. This will certainly slow down the realisation of 5G, no doubt.
Shorter Range Compared to 4G and 3G
5G can transmit data faster, and the credit goes to its high radio frequencies. Well, this turns out to be a boomerang for the technology as it has to compromise its range. 5G frequencies can travel shorter distances than cellular technologies such as 4G and 3G.
This is a potential drawback of 5G, even in the healthcare sector. Constructing cell towers here and there would cost more to improve the range. Otherwise, the coverage of 5G technology will be interrupted by walls, trees, and other objects.
Fewer Improvement Chances for Rural Area Networks
According to popular opinion, the addition of 5G to the healthcare facility will possibly benefit urban residents only. Urban areas will get to install high-band 5G antennas; thus, urban areas will receive multi-gigabit speeds as promised by 5G.
On a contrary note, rural areas may get sub-6 or low-band antennas. These will exert lower capacity and efficiency compared to the high-band ones. This means that rural residents will get slightly-improved bandwidth, but they will stay behind the high-efficiency 5G technology’s speed and coverage.
Conclusion
From the 5G pros and cons health concerns, it’s evident that fifth-generation cellular technology can be a strong reformer in telemedicine, robotic surgery, and other medical advances. However, there are many obstacles to realising a functional 5G technology, especially in rural areas.
5G costs more than 4G. Additionally, 5G will make devices use more bandwidth and energy. Moreover, there will be a risk related to cybersecurity norms with the 5G rollout.
