Why 5G matters for healthcare

One central barrier stands in the way of reliable, instantaneous telecommunication, according to Dr. Shafiq Rab, chief information officer at Rush University System for Health: internet bandwidth.

The same limitation that makes an internet connection feel slower when trying to download data-heavy files or when multiple users are working on the same network presents a hurdle for burgeoning medical practices like physician-to-physician consultations, at-home monitoring and video-based telemedicine.

“When you go into a crowded place, there are 20 people with everybody going, ‘I can’t download this, I can’t download this,’ ” Rab said as an example. “All those things are limited by bandwidth.”