If “necessity is the mother of invention,” then the COVID-19 pandemic is the mother of a large brood, indeed. From developing a vaccine in just one year, to making innovations in drone delivery, the U.S. has met the crisis with innovation and progress. Perhaps the greatest among our successes is hospitals’ early efforts to minimize in-person visits by helping patients access virtual care through telemedicine. A striking example is NYU Langone Health in New York City, which saw a 683% bump in virtual urgent care and a massive spike of 4,345% in nonurgent virtual visits between March and April 2020.
The pandemic may be winding down, but there’s no reason innovation should follow suit. In a post pandemic world, the U.S. should look to build on its successes. And the best way to do that is to ramp up 5G development and deployment across the country.
To build on telemedicine innovations that helped us transition health care from the hospital to our homes, our telecommunications infrastructure needs a boost. 5G offers this by improving internet speeds, bandwidth and reducing latency — all critical factors when, as in medical emergencies, every second counts. Yet current gaps in broadband infrastructure in hospitals and potential delays in FCC mid-band auctions stand in the way.
Read Full Article »