5G communication systems and connected healthcare

This chapter focuses on 5G mobile systems for ultra-reliable low latency communica- tions applied to two specific healthcare use cases: Wireless Tele Surgery (WTS), using a mobile console and a robotic platform with video, audio and haptic feedback; and Wireless Service Robot (WSR), a companion robot or service robot performing tasks of social caretakers, professional personnel or family members. Cyber-sickness and latency between the robotic platform and a reasoning server are the new technical problems the 5G mobile system is expected to solve, e.g. in hospices, hospitals, homes and campus areas. In the following sections, we first present the use cases and related technical require- ments; then, we describe the 5G reference architecture and key enabling technologies to meet the performance, dependability and security targets for Tele-healthcare. This is followed by a comprehensive analysis of the costs and revenues operators and health- care providers would encounter to deliver the corresponding services, if a 5G system was deployed.