In this file photo taken on November 6, 2019, people visit the stand of
Chinese telecom giant Huawei during the Web Summit in Lisbon. PHOTO |
PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA | AFP
Tech experts have restated the critical
role the 5G network is playing in the battle against the coronavirus,
saying it facilitates fast and flexible connectivity to secure remote
diagnostics and treatment.
Huawei’s
President of Carrier BG Marketing and Solution Sales, Peng Song,
reiterated the importance of technology in fighting Covid-19 during a 5G
online summit in Shenzen, China, last week.
He
called on information and technology companies to stick together in
rolling out the fifth-generation (5G) network and combating Covid-19.
“5G
provides us with a more flexible option and a faster connection to get
you online. (It) allows us to make full use of experts and medical
resources in different regions," he said.
"5G+ and AI enable the application of drones and robots to reduce the workload of doctors and nurses."
SIGNIFICANT VALUE
According to Huawei, which noted
that Covid-19 has affected everyone and is still spreading, a digital
response to the pandemic can take multiple forms and bring significant
value.
The summit noted
that tech companies are taking measures to confront the pandemic and
that 5G is vital for both social health and economic performance.
Huawei said technology has been a critical tool in fighting Covid-19 in many parts of the world.
In
Africa, for instance, the Global Epidemic Prevention Platform (GEPP)
released by Korea Telecom at the end of 2019 is helping to track people
who came into contact with a carrier of the coronavirus.
The technology has already been rolled out in Kenya and Ghana.
COLLABORATION
At the event, Huawei released a white paper, Technology against Pandemic: Insights and Practice on Telecom Networks.
The
paper explains the role telecommunications networks have played in the
fight against the pandemic and in helping people to move vital
activities online, such as education, shopping and remote working.
It
also explains global operators' best practices for overcoming the
pandemic using 5G, AI, fibre 10G PON, and other advanced technologies.
The paper further discusses the need to build and upgrade public health emergency response mechanisms.
Governments
can then take advantage of the development to make informed decisions
in a timely manner and allocate resources more effectively.
“In
this regard, 5G can also promote collaboration by enabling
connectivity, maintaining effective communication among hospitals and
enabling medical data and reference-sharing between hospitals and
scientific research institutions, especially in the rapid increases in
data volume and mounting demand for remote and HD-video based treatment’
scenario,” reads a statement from Huawei.
MAJOR CHANGES
It
is safe to assume that with 5G and the confluence of other emerging
technologies – such as the Internet of Things, big data, Artificial
Intelligence and machine learning - the healthcare industry will change
drastically as these technologies are used to augment the human capacity
and effectiveness.
In
the near future, 5G technology, when available to more people, will
enable novel healthcare applications as seen with Covid-19, while
facilitating ad hoc orchestration of healthcare services by integrating
patients, medical practitioners and social workers through its enhanced
connectivity capabilities.
“This
year, global digital transformation will accelerate, meaning both
opportunities and challenges for telecom operators and industries," Mr
Peng said.
"To address
these opportunities and challenges, operators must aim for more
resilient, automated and intelligent target networks, and their annual
network plans and activities should be geared towards achieving these
goals."
DRONES, ROBOTS
Seeing
as rolling out of the 5G comes amid a global health pandemic, Mr Peng
said the new technology should help deliver medical resources quickly
and efficiently.
He
said 5G provides the world with a more flexible option and a faster
connection to get online while allowing users to make full use of
experts and medical resources in different regions.
5G+ and AI enable the use of drones and robots to reduce doctors and nurses' workload.
In China, ambulances fitted with 5G-enabled communication technology have enabled nurses to tend to Covid-19 patients.
Through
the process of mixed reality, the clinician is given a real-time view
of the patient's state in the ambulance, allowing the paramedic to be
guided if critical intervention is required.
Under
the Lifelines Project, critically ill patients who are unable to
receive visitors are equipped with 4G-enabled tablets to connect and
communicate with their families.
Going forward, much more of this can be done using the 5G network.
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