5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks, which aims to be up to 100 times or more faster than 4G, thus providing ultra-low latency, faster connectivity speeds, and greater bandwidth. 5G in healthcare refers to the integration of 5G technology into the healthcare to enable remote diagnostics and monitoring, increase the efficiency of healthcare operations by continually sharing medical records among the healthcare parties involved and by asset tracking, improving healthcare training, education and treatment via AR and VR . With the global rollout of 5G network across the globe, there will compulsorily be a transformation shift in the healthcare industry, thus, enhancing patient care, improving outcomes, and also inviting new ideas to innovations that were once deemed impossible. However, with the new opportunities and innovations, it is equally important to address challenges such as privacy concerns and data security to take advantage of the full potential of 5G and ensure an ethical and secured healthcare ecosystem.

Global 5G in healthcare market was values US $41.89BN in 2022 and is expected to reach US $461.41BN by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 34.97% during the forecast period 2023 – 2030.

COVID -19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an unprecedented demand for undisrupted healthcare services, resulting in healthcare providers seeking for new ideas and innovations to cope with the surge in patient numbers and at the same time ensure the safety of both patients and medical staff. Thus, the integration of the 5G network emerged as a game-changing technology during the crisis in the healthcare industry by enabling seamless telemedicine consultations and connecting patients with healthcare professionals remotely. This shift proved crucial in tackling non-emergency medical needs and avoiding unnecessary visits to hospitals, thus minimizing the risk of virus transmission and reducing the burden on healthcare facilities.

Furthermore, the pandemic highlighted the importance of connected devices used for remote patient monitoring, especially for the vulnerable population or those recovering from COVID-19. 5G played a vital role in the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and wearables. These are devices worn on the user’s body such as the wrist and help in monitoring health data such as blood pressure, heart rate, sleep patterns, and activity. The remote monitoring capabilities of continuously collecting and transmitting patients' vital signs and health data to healthcare providers allowed healthcare professionals during the pandemic to closely monitor patients' health status in real-time, thus, enabling timely interventions and early detection of complications. This further resulted in fostering a new era of patient-centered care.

Additionally, the pandemic expedites the deployment of 5G in healthcare research and development. It is because the race to find an effective vaccine for the virus resulted in the generation of a vast amount of data. This necessitated advanced connectivity solutions such as 5G for rapid data transfer and processing to facilitate international collaborations among researchers, to swiftly exchange vital information and breakthrough discoveries.

In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst in integrating 5G in healthcare, to transform the way medical services are delivered and research is conducted.

Factors Driving the Market

Drivers

Rising Importance of Telehealth

The concept of telehealth has been there for a long time. It involves services such as appointments for diagnosing common illnesses and infections, follow-up visits required after hospitalization and procedures, management of chronic conditions, talk therapy such as mental illness etc. However, telehealth use surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fear of contracting the virus and stay-at-home orders led to an increase in its usage across the countries, for non-emergency medical conditions. Since then, telehealth has made an impression on both patients and providers and is here to stay. It is because of the advantages it provides including expanding patient base, increased patient comfort and flexibility especially for elderly people and people located remotely, and increased collaboration opportunities between medical disciplines.

According to FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, in January 2023, the utilization of telehealth in the U.S. increased 7.3%, from 5.5% of medical claim lines in December 2022 to 5.9% in January 2023.
Also, an American Medical Association (AMA) editorial regarding projected physician shortages of 37,800 and 124,000 by 2034 specifically states its potential solution to be telehealth and the broader use of technology.

Thus, with the increased adoption of telehealth, the demand for 5G is bound to increase. It is because the 5G’s adoption and implementation will require the telehealth domain to be charged with seamless and superior wireless connectivity, minimal latency (delay) in data sharing, greater bandwidth, and sharing higher resolution videos and images and across the healthcare ecosystem, thereby increasing the real-time connectivity value for improved patient outcomes.

Other drivers include: Surge in the demand for healthcare interoperable solutions, rising use of 5G in surgical applications, and increasing availability of wearable devices.

Challenges

High Cost of Infrastructure

The implementation of 5G in healthcare comes with a substantial cost of investment required to set up an infrastructure. Firstly, an extensive deployment of 5G infrastructure is mandatory for widespread coverage and this includes installation of numerous base station and antennas, a costly process. While the cost of deploying in urban centers might be relatively manageable, reaching remote and sparsely populated regions poses a higher financial burden due to the need for more base stations and equipment to ensure adequate coverage.

Acquiring the necessary spectrum licenses for 5G involves significant expenses as well. Telecommunication companies need to participate in competitive auctions held by governments to secure the required frequency bands. These licensing costs might be passed on to healthcare providers, thus adding to the overall financial burden of adoption and implementation.  

Further, most of the use cases of 5G are in advanced technologies such as robots, AI, AR and VR. The cost of implementing these new technologies can be significant. For instance, the overall cost of developing advanced robotics infused with specialized hardware, sensors, and processing units and then deploying robotic systems with 5G capabilities can be substantial. Additionally, training AI algorithms and maintaining the necessary computational infrastructure to support AI applications can also incur significant expenses.

Thus, the high cost of infrastructure investment is one of the major challenges that healthcare organizations must address when considering the implementation of 5G technology.

Other challenges include: Lack of infrastructure, privacy and security concerns, and frequency band and spectrum availability issues.

Trends

Increasing number of launches of AR/VR devices for medical applications,

AR and VR have made remarkable advancements in healthcare and are now capable of solving highly complex tasks. Traditionally they have been used for medical training and diagnostics mainly, but today, healthcare providers are using AR and VR for chronic pain management, mental health treatment, body mapping, and maintenance of equipment in medical labs.

Conventionally, anaesthetic methods have been used for managing pain. However, they are not completely successful. Around 45 people in the U.S. die every day from overdoses involving prescription opioids. Therefore, as an alternative, VR technology has been developed to serve as drug-free pain management. To ease pain, VR apps provide various interactive games for cognitive distraction, thus reducing the use of harmful painkillers and saving lives. Various healthcare providers have started using or experimenting with these technologies. For instance, St. Jude Research Hospital tried EaseVRx, a VR platform that combinedly used headsets and goggles to produce an immersive 3D world. The platform provided patients with various programs, including pain distraction via immersive games and escapes in relaxing environments and also provided with educational tools that taught them how to manage their pain. After using the platform for six months, the hospital claimed to have managed to reduce pain scores by almost 50% and also on saving around $200K on purchasing pain-relieving drugs every month.

Recently, the FDA has reviewed and authorized for marketing an increasing number of devices through 510(k) clearance, Premarket Approval with AR/VR across many different fields of medicine or granted De Novo request. It is also providing the medical devices lists that integrates AR and VR marketed in the U.S. as a resource to the public about these devices and the FDA’s work in this extent. Some of the devices include InVisionOS developed by PrecisionOS company, a patient-specific planning tool using VR. The patented software, lets surgeons use an Oculus Quest 2 device to do preoperative planning.

5G significantly enhances the performance and potential of AR and VR medical devices by providing faster data transfer, low latency, and the ability to support complex and immersive applications. As 5G networks continue to expand, the impact of these advanced AR/VR medical devices is expected to grow, driving innovation and transformation in medical practices.

Other trends include: Increasing collaborations between 5G hardware of service providers and healthcare companies, and Role of 5G in Big data and AI, and advanced self-serve medical kiosks

Market Segmentation

By Components

• The hardware segment dominated the 5G in healthcare market in 2022.
• The services segment is the fastest growing segment, growing with the CAGR of 36.70% during the forecast period.

By components, the global 5G in healthcare market is divided into hardware and services.

The hardware segment led the global 5G in the healthcare market with a market share of 72.32%. The backbone of the 5G healthcare ecosystem lies in the network equipment used to power the communication infrastructure. The deployment of 5G networks entails considerable hardware upgrades to ensure reliable connectivity and accommodate the increased data traffic. High-performance base stations, routers, and small cells form the crucial hardware components required to build a robust 5G infrastructure for healthcare applications. As a result, the integration of 5G technology into the healthcare industry has sparked a surge in demand for specific hardware components.

The services segment is the fastest-growing segment, with a CAGR of 36.70% during the forecast period. The growth in this segment is being fueled by several significant factors such as the demand for quicker and more reliable data transfer options and the increasing need for seamless connections for medical devices. In addition, the necessity for enhanced mobile broadband and higher frequencies has collectively created a robust environment for 5G services to flourish in the healthcare sector, thus contributing to market revenue.

By End-users

• The healthcare providers segment dominated the 5G in healthcare market in 2022.
• The healthcare payers segment is the fastest growing segment, growing with the CAGR of 36.23% during the forecast period.

By end-users, the global 5G in healthcare market is divided into healthcare providers and healthcare payers

The healthcare providers segment led the 5G in the healthcare market in 2022 with a market share of 62.45%.  Healthcare providers such as hospitals, clinics, ambulatory centers etc. have the ability to revolutionize healthcare delivery by addressing critical challenges. The demand for 5G-enabled equipment, devices and services is all time high from this segment because 5G's low latency and ultra-fast speeds aid real-time access to patient’s medical records, thus resulting into efficient diagnosis and treatment planning. As a result, in a process to improve patient outcome continuously, the healthcare providers will be the significant contributors in the market revenue.  

The healthcare payers segment is the fastest growing segment, with a CAGR of 36.23% during the forecast period. Healthcare payers segment includes government payers such as national and regional health insurance programs, for example, Medicare and Medicaid in the U.S., private healthcare insurance companies, and employer-sponsored health plans. The demand for 5G is rising fast among healthcare payers owing to its capability to transfer large amount of data across speedily, resulting healthcare payers to efficiently process and analyze patient data for accurate risk assessments and personalized care plans.

By Application

• The connected healthcare segment dominated the 5G in healthcare market in 2022 and will be fastest growing segment, growing with the CAGR of 35.66% during the forecast period.

By application the global 5G in healthcare market is divided into connected healthcare, smart hospitals, healthcare automation, AR and VR in healthcare, and others.  

Connected healthcare is a healthcare management and delivery model which uses technology to provide healthcare services remotely. It comprises of remote patient monitoring and connected ambulance.  

The connected healthcare segment dominated the 5G in healthcare market in 2022 with the market share of 29.12% and will be fastest growing segment, growing with the CAGR of 35.66% during the forecast period. With technological advancement and the widespread adoption of medical devices, wearables and sensors, healthcare providers are now able to remotely monitor patients' vital signs, symptoms, and health data in real-time efficiently and speedily. This continuous and proactive monitoring allows for early detection of health issues, enabling timely interventions and personalized treatment plans. Other benefits provided by remote patient monitoring includes active participation by patients in their own healthcare, reduction in frequent hospital visits, thereby easing the burden on healthcare facilities and enhancing overall efficiency.

Further, the concept of connected ambulances is also increasing rapidly which support video conferencing capabilities, facilitating remote consultations with specialized medical professionals, thus enhancing decision-making and treatment options on-the-go. One of the inbuilt technologies imperative for providing these services is 5G which is required for seamless communication and transfer of patient data. Thus, with the increasing remote patient monitoring and connected ambulance services, the demand for 5G for providing these services is guaranteed to grow in coming years.

By Region

• The North America region dominated the 5G in healthcare market in 2022.
• The APAC region is the fastest growing segment, growing with the CAGR of 36.50% during the forecast period.

By region, the global 5G in healthcare market is divided into North America, Europe, APAC, and others. Others is further divided into Middle Eastern and South America.

The North American region led the global 5G in the healthcare market with a market share of 34.22% in 2022. Since the 5G technology has a transformative effect on various healthcare applications including but not limited to telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and AR applications, therefore its adoption has been rapid in countries such the U.S. and Canada. For instance, the demand for telehealth has been highest in the U.S. resulting in a key driver for the high market revenue for 5G in healthcare. 5G's seamless video conferencing capabilities have reformed remote consultations, allowing healthcare providers such as physicians to reach patients in urban as well as rural areas with greater efficiency. This accessibility has led to reduced healthcare costs, improved patient outcomes, and expanded healthcare access across the region.  

The APAC region is the fastest-growing segment, growing with a CAGR of 36.50% during the forecast period. It is because the region is experiencing a surge in the adoption of transformative devices and services in which 5G is an essential inbuilt technology. This fuel in demand is mainly because of the burgeoning population, coupled with increasing urbanization and advancements in healthcare infrastructure. Another factor contributing to the region's rapid growth in 5G healthcare demand is the convergence of 5G technology with the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

Competitive Landscape

The Global 5G in healthcare market is consolidate with few players being the major revenue contributors. To enhance their positions in healthcare market, these players are continuously involved in product or service diversifications, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, geographic expansions, and partnerships.

Major Players

• AT&T (U.S.)
• Verizon (U.S.)
• China Mobile International Limited (China)
• Quectel (China)
• Telit Communications (U.K.)
• Telus Corporation (Canada)
• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (China)
• Cisco System Inc. (U.S.)
• Orange SA (France)
• NEC Corporation (Japan)
• SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (South Korea)
• Fibocom Wireless Inc. (China)
• Qualcomm (U.S.)
• Ericsson (Sweden)
• Nokia Corporation (Finland)
• Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)
• BT Group (U.K.)
• Deutsche Telekom AG (Germany)
• Vodafone Group Plc (U.K.)
• Saudi Telecom Company (STC) (Saudi Arabia)

Recent Developments

• June 2023: Telecom ministers from at least 18 EU countries have rejected a proposal by network operators to have major technology companies fund the rollout of 5G and broadband.
• May 2023: A group of about a dozen vendors announced this week that a test program for 5G network slicing had achieved 70% gains in the time required to programmatically create a network slice, marking a major step forward in the development of private 5G for enterprise users.
• May 2023: AT&T, Dell and VMware have partnered to create a multi-access edge computing (MEC) solution that includes private 5G wireless deployed on premises. The three vendors combined their experience in 5G communications and edge infrastructure to create an integrated 5G MEC solution – called AT&T MEC with Dell Apex – that’s designed to accelerate enterprise adoption of 5G technology.

5G in Healthcare Market Scope

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION OF GLOBAL 5G IN HEALTHCARE MARKET

1.1 Overview of the Market

1.2 Scope of Report

1.3 Assumptions

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Data Mining

3.2 Validation

3.3 Primary Interviews

3.4 List of Data Sources

4 GLOBAL 5G IN HEALTHCARE MARKET OUTLOOK

4.1 Overview

4.2 Market Dynamics

4.2.1 Drivers

4.2.2 Restraints

4.2.3 Opportunities

4.3 Porters Five Force Model

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Threat of New Entrants

4.3.3. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.4. Competitive Rivalry

4.3.5. Bargaining Power among Buyers

4.4 Value Chain Analysis

5 GLOBAL 5G IN HEALTHCARE MARKET, BY TYPE

5.1 Overview

5.2 Hardware

5.3 Services

6 GLOBAL 5G IN HEALTHCARE MARKET, BY COMPONENTS

6.1 Hardware

6.2 Services

7 GLOBAL 5G IN HEALTHCARE MARKET, By END-USERS

7.1 Healthcare providers

7.2 Healthcare payers

8 GLOBAL 5G IN HEALTHCARE MARKET, By APPLICATIONS

8.1 Connected healthcare

8.2 Smart hospitals

8.3 Healthcare automation

8.4 AR and VR in healthcare

8.5 Others

9 GLOBAL 5G IN HEALTHCARE MARKET, By REGION

9.1 North America

9.1.1 U.S.

9.1.2 Canada

9.2 Europe

9.2.1 Germany

9.2.3 U.K.

9.2.4 France

9.2.5 Rest of Europe

9.3 Asia Pacific

9.3.1 China

9.3.2 Japan

9.3.3 India

9.3.4 South Korea

9.3.5 Singapore

9.3.6 Malaysia

9.3.7 Australia

9.3.8 Thailand

9.3.9 Indonesia

9.3.10 Philippines

9.3.11 Rest of Asia Pacific

9.4 Others

9.4.1 Saudi Arabia

9.4.2 U.A.E.

9.4.3 South Africa

9.4.4 Egypt

9.4.5 Israel

9.4.6 Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA)

9.4.7 Brazil

9.4.8 Argentina

9.4.9 Mexico

9.4.10 Rest of South America

10 COMPANY PROFILES

10.1 AT&T

10.1.1. Company Overview

10.1.2. Key Executives

10.1.3. Operating Business Segments

10.1.4. Product Portfolio

10.1.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.1.6 Key News

10.2 Verizon

10.2.1. Company Overview

10.2.2. Key Executives

10.2.3. Operating Business Segments

10.2.4. Product Portfolio

10.2.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.2.6. Key News

10.3 China Mobile International Limited

10.3.1. Company Overview

10.3.2. Key Executives

10.3.3. Operating Business Segments

10.3.4. Product Portfolio

10.3.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.3.6. Key News

10.4 Quectel

10.4.1. Company Overview

10.4.2. Key Executives

10.4.3. Operating Business Segments

10.4.4. Product Portfolio

10.4.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.4.6. Key News

10.5 Telit Communications

10.5.1. Company Overview

10.5.2. Key Executives

10.5.3. Operating Business Segments

10.5.4. Product Portfolio

10.5.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.5.6. Key News

10.6 Telus Corporation

10.6.1. Company Overview

10.6.2. Key Executives

10.6.3. Operating Business Segments

10.6.4. Product Portfolio

10.6.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.6.6. Key News

10.7 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

10.7.1. Company Overview

10.7.2. Key Executives

10.7.3. Operating Business Segments

10.7.4. Product Portfolio

10.7.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.7.6. Key News

10.8 Cisco System Inc.

10.8.1. Company Overview

10.8.2. Key Executives

10.8.3. Operating Business Segments

10.8.4. Product Portfolio

10.8.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.8.6. Key News

10.9 Orange SA

10.9.1. Company Overview

10.9.2. Key Executives

10.9.3. Operating Business Segments

10.9.4. Product Portfolio

10.9.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.9.6. Key News

10.10 NEC Corporation

10.10.1. Company Overview

10.10.2. Key Executives

10.10.3. Operating Business Segments

10.10.4. Product Portfolio

10.10.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.10.6. Key News

10.11 SK Telecom Co., Ltd.

10.11.1. Company Overview

10.11.2. Key Executives

10.11.3. Operating Business Segments

10.11.4. Product Portfolio

10.11.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.11.6. Key News

10.12 Fibocom Wireless Inc.

10.12.1. Company Overview

10.12.2. Key Executives

10.12.3. Operating Business Segments

10.12.4. Product Portfolio

10.12.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.12.6. Key News

10.13 Qualcomm

10.13.1. Company Overview

10.13.2. Key Executives

10.13.3. Operating Business Segments

10.13.4. Product Portfolio

10.13.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.13.6. Key News

10.14 Ericsson

10.14.1. Company Overview

10.14.2. Key Executives

10.14.3. Operating Business Segments

10.14.4. Product Portfolio

10.14.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.14.6. Key News

10.15 Nokia Corporation

10.15.1. Company Overview

10.15.2. Key Executives

10.15.3. Operating Business Segments

10.15.4. Product Portfolio

10.15.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.15.6. Key News

10.16 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

10.16.1. Company Overview

10.16.2. Key Executives

10.16.3. Operating Business Segments

10.16.4. Product Portfolio

10.16.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.16.6. Key News

10.17 BT Group

10.17.1. Company Overview

10.17.2. Key Executives

10.17.3. Operating Business Segments

10.17.4. Product Portfolio

10.17.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.17.6. Key News

10.18 Deutsche Telekom AG

10.18.1. Company Overview

10.18.2. Key Executives

10.18.3. Operating Business Segments

10.18.4. Product Portfolio

10.18.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.18.6. Key News

10.19 Vodafone Group Plc

10.19.1. Company Overview

10.19.2. Key Executives

10.19.3. Operating Business Segments

10.19.4. Product Portfolio

10.19.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.19.6. Key News

10.20 Saudi Telecom Company (STC)

10.20.1. Company Overview

10.20.2. Key Executives

10.20.3. Operating Business Segments

10.20.4. Product Portfolio

10.20.5. Financial Performance (As per availability)

10.20.6. Key News

Global 5G in healthcare Market Segmentation

5G in healthcare by Component: Market Size & Forecast 2023-2030

• Hardware
• Services

5G in healthcare by End-users: Market Size & Forecast 2023-2030

• Healthcare providers
• Healthcare payers

5G in healthcare by Application: Market Size & Forecast 2023-2030

• Connected healthcare
• Smart hospitals
• Healthcare automation
• AR and VR in healthcare
• Others

5G in healthcare by Geography: Market Size & Forecast 2023-2030

• North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)
• Europe (Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Rest of Europe)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Rest of South America)
• Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEA)

Major Players:

• AT&T (U.S.)
• Verizon (U.S.)
• China Mobile International Limited (China)
• Quectel (China)
• Telit Communications (U.K.)
• Telus Corporation (Canada)
• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (China)
• Cisco System Inc. (U.S.)
• Orange SA (France)
• NEC Corporation (Japan)
• SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (South Korea)
• Fibocom Wireless Inc. (China)
• Qualcomm (U.S.)
• Ericsson (Sweden)
• Nokia Corporation (Finland)
• Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)
• BT Group (U.K.)
• Deutsche Telekom AG (Germany)
• Vodafone Group Plc (U.K.)
• Saudi Telecom Company (STC) (Saudi Arabia)