Qualcomm Study Predicts Huge Healthcare Impact of 5G

In 2035, 5G technology will facilitate over $1.1 trillion in sales in the global healthcare market, according to a new report from Qualcomm Technologies. The number represents over nine percent of $12.3 trillion “5G-enabled economy”, the study says. It’s also going to help facilitate growth in highly personalized remote care thanks to 5G support for large amounts of patient data collected from various sources.

That’s very convenient news for Qualcomm Life, given that firm’s development of solutions like biometric patches that can instantly transmit health data pertaining to their wearers. And there is a larger array of providers of biometric wearables and other remote care solutions that also stand to benefit from the rise of 5G infrastructure.

As Berkeley Research Group head Dr. David Teece, who authored Qualcomm’s report based on an original study by IHS Markit, explains, “There is growing evidence that wireless technology is the silent enabler of technological progress throughout the economy,” of which healthcare “is a large and growing sector”. 5G will thus have a powerful impact in this area.

The analysis arrives soon after the publication of Ericsson’s 5G Readiness Assessment for 2017, in which that firm found a telecom sector racing to establish 5G infrastructure and business models – suggesting that the healthcare benefits enabled by 5G will start to be realized soon.

Source: Qualcomm