FCC Names Spectrum Coordinator, Paving Way for Remote Patient Monitoring

In a decision with implications for remotely monitoring patients throughout the care continuum, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a frequency coordinator for medical body area network (MBAN) operations. The FCC named Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) as coordinator for the 2360 to 2400 MHz frequency range. Health care organizations are required to register MBAN devices capable of operating in the spectrum with EWA. This may be an important development for laboratory administrators and pathologists, who could eventually find opportunities to leverage diagnostics data captured by the technology. "MBAN technology will provide a flexible platform for the wireless networking of multiple body transmitters used for measuring and recording physiological parameters and other patient information or for performing diagnostic or therapeutic functions, primarily in healthcare facilities," the FCC said in its November announcement. For its part, EWA is charged with ensuring interference-free sharing of the band, which also serves the Aeronautical Mobile Telemetry (AMT) operations. "Our role is to ensure MBAN deployments are conducted pursuant to FCC rules governing those deployments, specifically securing operational concurrence from the Aerospace and Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council to ensure there is no risk of interference to Aeronautical Mobile Telemetry devices," Mark Crosby, EWA president, told…