Wireless technologies

There are a wide range of different wireless technologies that use different frequencies (licensed and unlicensed) and are designed for different purposes and use cases. We provide a brief overview of the main types here.

This is the most commonly used technology to wirelessly connect devices to a network.  The infrastructure needed for Wi-Fi generally consists of Access Points (APs), that are installed throughout a building that connect back to a central controller.  In your home Wi-Fi, this central control is usually done by your service provider. Knowing where to install the APs to get maximum Wi-Fi coverage is key to providing a good Wi-Fi service and should ideally be based on the results of a of a Wi-Fi survey.

Wi-Fi can provide very high data rates and can support streaming of ultra-high-definition video.  Each new version of the Wi-Fi standard has been backward compatible so legacy Wi-Fi devices are still able to connect.  When configured correctly Wi-Fi can be very secure and support many devices. 

The frequencies used for Wi-Fi can be broken down into “bands” giving some flexibility to help with congestion. However, as Wi-Fi uses the unlicensed radio frequencies, it is very susceptible to interference from other devices using these frequencies, as well as other Wi-Fi services, resulting in reduced performance. Power consumption can also be an important consideration for devices connecting to Wi-Fi, especially mobile devices with battery limitations.

For further information on the application of Wi-Fi within healthcare settings please see:

Wi-Fi metrics and measures

Making the business case for Wi-Fi infrastructure investment guidance

Wi-Fi 7 is the latest standard for Wi-Fi technology, but at the time of writing is not widely in use. For details on the features and support for Wi-Fi 7 see Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7

The latest standard widely in  use is Wi-Fi 6:

• Wi-Fi 6 uses both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz unlicensed frequency bands
• Wi-Fi 6E is an enhancement to this standard which also allows access to the unlicenced 6GHz frequencies
• to connect to 5GHz or 6GHz the end device also needs to support this, some older devices may not
• as access to unlicenced 6GHz has only been made available recently not many devices are capable of using it, which can results in less congestion and potentially better performance

The main use of Wi-Fi within healthcare settings is to deliver both the internal corporate network and the public guest network, enabling staff and patients to access the internet. 

Most users’ interactions with Wi-Fi are when connecting devices, such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones or smart TVs, to the Local Area Network (LAN) in order to access internal or national systems. 

This is the infrastructure that allows mobile phone or SIM enabled data devices to connect.  There are generally two types of ways to connect to a mobile service, public and private. 

Public is used by the main telecom providers, at the time of writing these are EE, Vodafone, VM02 and Three.

Private is restricted to authorised SIM cards only, for example devices belonging to one organisations authorised staff and can provide greater control and better network performance. 

Mobile wireless connectivity started off as a voice only platform that enabled voice calls for early mobile phones. It was then very quickly developed to support data and over the years there have been significant performance enhancements to the capabilities and standards, and it can now support high volumes and speeds for data transfer, for example high quality video streaming. 

There is generally very good national coverage now for mobile, depending on the service you require for more information read Ofcom Broadband and mobile coverage checker. A potential downside is that it due to the poor penetration of mobile signals it can be difficult to get mobile coverage within a building, but there are solutions for this such as a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

For further information on mobile/cellular solutions please see:

Mobile backup solutions for fixed healthcare sites

Introduction to in building mobile coverage

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust indoor mobile network

The latest version of the mobile standard is 5, and is referred to as the fifth generation or 5G.  It is easy to confuse 5G (version 5 of the mobile standards) with 5GHz (Wi-Fi radio frequency), however they are two separate things. 

There are plans in place for previous generations, 2G and 3G, to be switched off. As of March 2025, 3 of the 4 network operators have switched off their 3G network, with O2 planning to switch off their remaining 3G network during 2025. As a result, legacy devices that do not support 4/5G may cease to function.  

See 3G and 2G switch-off Ofcom

2G / 3G Switch-Off for the NHS - Future Connectivity (Future NHS account required)

4G signals operate in the licensed range of 800Mz to 2.4GHz. 

This type of connectivity is used mainly by personal or corporate mobile devices, such as staff and patient phones and tablets.  As data rates increase and prices drop it is becoming more common to see mobile used as a backup service for wired WAN connections. Read Mobile backup solutions for fixed healthcare sites for more information. 

5G is the latest mobile standard.. It operates in three frequency bands: Low, Medium, and High, however this is often divided into two ranges: Frequency Range 1 (FR1) or Frequency Range 2 (FR2). 

The Low range is around the 700MHz band and as this is a low frequency has good range and penetration.  However, at this low frequency the data rates can be slower. 

The medium range is around 3-4GHz and gives a good compromise between data rates and coverage.  Medium range can provide faster throughput than 4G, but at this higher frequency the coverage and penetration are not as good. 

These low and medium ranges are combined and known as FR1.

High range, known as FR2 is in the 25-50GHz bands. This is also known as the milli-meter wavelength (mmWave).  These very high frequencies can achieve very high data rates.  When you read about the theoretical rates of 5G they often reference the capabilities of these high frequency ranges for the impressive numbers.  The trade-off of the high data rates FR2 is capable of is comparatively poor coverage and penetration, meaning more dedicated 5G masts will be required to provide coverage. 

In the UK, Ofcom have currently licensed FR1. The 26 and 40GHz ranges of FR2 are not yet licensed. These ranges are expected to go to auction during 2025, which will allow network providers to bid for and  then provide higher frequency bands offering higher data rates to their customers.  It is currently expected that FR2 will be available in some cities by the end of 2025

As providers have rushed to get 5G out to the market, these antennae have been attached to existing 4G masts. This in itself is not too much of a problem, but as the mast was originally for 4G, the infrastructure used to connect back to the core network is built around 4G speeds. 

This means that connecting with very high speed 5G may still limited by this connectivity back to the core.  To address this challenge, providers are putting up dedicated 5G masts with higher speed connections back to the core.  New names are being introduced to market and sell this high frequencyservice, such as 5G Ultra and SuperFast 5G. 

There are two types of satellite connectivity available at present, these are known as  Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). The difference between the two is how far away they are from the Earth’s surface, and this impacts  the connectivity speeds they can provide. For more on LEO and GEO satellite see Satellite connectivity.

To connect to any of the satellite services you will need a service package, an antenna and a clear line of sight to the sky and thus to the satellite. The direction and angle of the antenna needs to be set to point at the satellite.. If the antenna is knocked or blocked in some way connection will be disrupted, and it will need repointing.  Some advanced antennae have small motors and can automatically point and repoint themselves.

Advertised data rates at the time of writing were up to 200Mbps, but latency can still be an issue so real time applications like voice and video may suffer interruptions. Using satellite can be a quick way to deploy a service, especially in an area where there is limited or no existing connectivity, such as rural locations.  You typically buy a block of data that you can use for example. 1, 2 or 10TBs per month and costs can vary significantly.

It’s also worth noting that in the UK, Ofcom see the take up of satellite increasing and they are actively looking at how more of the radio frequencies needed can be made available for satellite connectivity.  Satellite is also starting to be considered as a backup to fixed wired connections.

Fixed wireless connectivity guidance 

Wi-Fi and satellite rapid deployment 

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB wireless trial: Creating an office in a box with Starlink

Overview

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances. 

Bluetooth Low Energy is a wireless personal area network technology aimed at novel applications in the healthcare, fitness, beacons, security and home entertainment industries. It is independent of classic Bluetooth and has no compatibility.

Bluetooth was developed as a short range (up to a few meters) radio technology to allow one device to connect to another. Over the years it has been developed and enhanced to a point where it can now support audio streaming, but is not currently capable of video.   

The range that Bluetooth can connect devices at has increased over time but is still limited to metres. Developments have improved the number of devices that can concurrently connect to a single Bluetooth service, but it is still most commonly possible for connection to just one device. Bluetooth can be power hungry with devices only lasting days on batteries; however, the development of Bluetooth Low Energy as a less power intensive alternative is addressing this issue. 

Bluetooth version 6.0 is the latest standard and encompasses BLE.  Bluetooth is typically always on, which is one of the reasons battery performance can be poor.  BLE standards are included in Bluetooth version 6.0. 

This allows for a BLE device to be in a reduced power mode and not transmitting until it receives a signal from a BLE access point. It has become increasingly common for Wi-Fi  Access Points to have BLE built in as standard, and it is a safe assumption that any Wi-Fi AP purchased and installed in the past 3-5 years will include BLE capabilities.

The 6.0 standard also allows for devices to connect over much greater distances, but at the expense of increased power consumption and shorter battery life. 

Bluetooth operates in the unlicensed 2.4GHz frequency where it competes with Wi-Fi.  This can result in a congestion of the radio channels if not configured with care.

Read more on the latest Bluetooth standard. 

Connecting headsets/earphones and computer hardware (keyboards/mice) is one of the most common and visible uses of Bluetooth. However, with the development of Internet of Things (IoT), Bluetooth’s popularity has increased. Worn medical devices, including blood sugar or heart monitors, commonly use Bluetooth. Bluetooth is also widely used for  real time tracking of both personal and medical devices.