Wireless Technology Speeds Health Services in Rwanda
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Cellphones are now being used to report from the field in Rwanda, enabling health care workers to better track and manage patients.
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(InfoWorld) - As the mobile phone industry scrambles to put cellphones in the hands of billions of unconnected people in emerging markets, less-expensive, higher-speed WiMax is likely to be the technology of choice to connect them to the Internet. "We will see some operators in emerging markets upgrade their cellular networks to support lower-speed data services such as e-mail, but there is a very strong case for deploying WiMax to provide high-speed Internet services in these regions," David Taylor, director of strategic operations high-growth markets in the mobile devices division of Motorola, said Wednesday in an interview at theÂ 3GSM World CongressÂ in Barcelona. WiMax networks require fewer base stations than 3G (third-generation) higher-speed mobile phone networks, according to Taylor. And not only are WiMax base stations cheaper, they also consume less energy because their systems don't need cooling. That's a huge benefit as powering networks cost efficiently can be a big challenge in emerging markets. Add to that the speed of WiMax -- up to 10GbpsÂ -- and the result is "a very strong case for WiMax in emerging markets," Taylor said. "Particularly small and medium-size businesses in rural areas can be served very cost-efficiently with this technology." Pakistan has already announced plans to deploy WiMax. So what happens to the many cellular networks already built or being built in these markets? They won't disappear, according to Taylor. On the contrary, operators will continue to use them to deliver basic voice and text services. Some may also decide to upgrade them to GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) or EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment) technologies to support low-speed data services. "This is not a costly upgrade," he said, unlike an upgrade to 3G or LTE (Long-Term Evolution), the cellular rival to wireless WiMax. Motorola has learned "valuable lessons" about designing products for users in emerging markets, Taylor said. "Simplicity is crucial," he said. "Handsets should have few features -- they should be touch and go." Reliability is another issue. Phones must be robust and not easily breakable. "Many people spend two months of income or more to purchase a phone," he said. "They've made a huge investment in a piece of technology they expect to work -- always." Low power consumption and long battery life are also crucial as many people in emerging markets still live without electricity and need to pay to have their batteries recharged.
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An information mobile text service is being launched in Kenya to help tackle the HIV/Aids pandemic.
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Mobile phones are being harnessed to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa under a new $10-million scheme announced on Tuesday with the backing of leading companies and the U.S. government.
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Independent UK hospital The London Clinic has selected US-based Wi-Fi tracking technology firm Ekahau to safeguard valuable medical equipment using its Real Time Tracking Solution.
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The technology at the $55 million facility allows doctors to access patient information -- including digital scans, lab results and prescription drug information -- from anywhere in the hospital, at home or off-site, using a wireless network.
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The Whitman-Walker Clinic, the region's biggest provider of HIV-AIDS services, announced yesterday that it will expand medical care as it moves toward becoming a comprehensive health center.
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An &quot;ever-widening&quot; gap between the quality of health care in the world&#39;s richest and poorest countries is happening in part because technological advances made by the pharmaceutical industry need to be applied more to delivery of care, according to a
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Both companies plan to start offering the super-speedy, cost-effective wireless technology as soon as possible.
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The World Health Organization aims to harness smart technology to stop counterfeit medicines flooding developing world markets with sometimes fatal results.
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Sensors will be used to relay data to medical files.
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Students design mobile data-access system for health-care workers.
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Nearly half a million people across Africa will soon be able to make mobile calls in a bid to tackle rural poverty.
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(InfoWorld) - Two global telecommunication organizations have agreed to collaborate in boosting mobile phone access in developing countries. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an arm of the United Nations responsible for telecommunications issues, and the GSM Association (GSMA), which represents the interests of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) operators, will work together in several areas, including projects aimed at low-cost access to mobile phone services, the two organizations said Tuesday. While GSMA is keen to help its members penetrate huge developing markets such as Africa, the ITU sees wireless as a relatively quick and cost-efficient way to provide phone service to people in countries lacking traditional fixed-line telephone infrastructure. The two organizations will focus on three primary areas: low-cost access to phone service, industry and government cooperation in planning and financing, and industry benchmarking. To help spur low-cost access to mobile phone services, GSMA and ITU will draw on programs each has established for developing markets and identify projects in which the two groups can pool their expertise and resources. While the GSMA has created its own development fund andÂ introduced contestsÂ to encourage the development of low-cost handsets, the ITU has launched its Connect the World initiative, a project to reduce the digital divide. Together, GSMA and ITU also intend to forge partnerships with governments and companies to assist with planning and investment. A key goal will be to establish a regulatory environment to safeguard investments in emerging markets and pursue innovative approaches for theÂ use of universal services fundsÂ to expand wireless access in rural and remote communities. Universal service funds are used mostly by governments in developing countries to subsidize the rollout of telecommunications services. Last year, GSMA estimated that governments in 15 countries have collected $6 billion for their universal service funds, including $2 billion that came from levies on mobile operators. Of this amount, governments have spent $1.6 billion, leaving billions untouched. As for industry benchmarking, both GSMA and ITU have huge statistical databases, which they intend to use to help create key industry and performance indicators for improving decision-making. Last week, GSMA published a study claiming that consumers and businesses in numerous developing countries are paying too much for international calls. Authors of the study call for introducing competition in international gateway services, a move that they claim could reduce call prices by up to 90 percent. The use of mobile phone technology to connect people will be a focus of the GSM World Congress, which begins next week in Barcelona.
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(Source: AT&T)  Hospitals used to be slowed down by paper. But by bolstering digital databases and wireless capabilities, everyone can work more efficiently.
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Wireless broadband gets a boost with optimized EV-DO installations in several regions.
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Sisters of Mercy Health System is putting money and people on a project to improve patient care through information technology. The St.