Proximus NXT, the system integrator division of Belgian operator Proximus, is to deploy a private 5G network, in pilot form, at the AZ Groeninge hospital in Kortrijk, West Flanders, in Belgium. The “proposal”, as it stands, is to “test 5G applications in a real hospital environment”. It would make AZ Groeninge the first hospital in the Benelux region to have a private 5G network, said Proximus NXT.

AZ Groeninge is affiliated with the Flemish KU Leuven Hospital network in West Flanders; it is the fifth largest hospital in Belgium by bed-count. Funding for the project comes from the Belgian government, which has put out a call for5G pilot projects to drive the national economy and public services. Specifically, funding for the campus pilot comes via the government’s so-called High-speed Enabled Advanced Life-Saving 5G Tech Hospital (H.E.A.L.T.H.) project. 

The remit, in terms of proposed applications, reads like a wish-list of 5G medical use cases: remote care, clinical comms, robotic surgery, biosensors, smart alerts, AR/VR X-rays, plus general medical and technology training, and other hospital efficiencies. A statement said: “With AI and machine learning on a private edge cloud infrastructure, the training sessions can gradually be further refined and tailored to specific training needs.”

At the same time, Proximus NXT has announced four additional government-funded 5G projects, including: a ‘SafeAlert’ tool to run risk analysis and alerts around traffic monitoring and traffic safety; a smart manufacturing campus, FacThory, in Genk, to automate production processes; digital tools in prisons to make working conditions efficient and safer; and remote navigation for maritime transport in urban environments to raise safety levels.

In total, eight additional projects have received funding, to the tune of €5 million. Pilot projects were assessed on their maturity, innovation, sustainability, use of AI and edge computing, as well as on “contribution to awareness of 5G”. Other partners in the H.E.A.L.T.H. project areS University of Applied Sciences (for knowledge exchange), Mediventures (streaming of operations), Televic (smart alerts), and One Bonsai (virtual training environment). 

Inge Buyse, chief executive at AZ Groeninge, said: “We are pushing very hard for innovation. In the spring of 2023, The Greenhouse, our innovation and expertise hub, was established within the bosom of our (hospital) home. With this ambitious project, we immediately make our plans around innovation very concrete. I am delighted that today we are planting the seeds for the future together with our partners. The future is bright.”

Anne-Sophie Lotgering, enterprise market lead at Proximus, said: “The innovative and socially relevant nature of our 5G pilot projects, including this pioneering H.E.A.L.T.H. project, is being recognized by the stakeholders in the field, as well by public authorities. By collaborating closely with partners, we are creating advanced end-to-end solutions that really add value for our customers in a wide range of sectors, as well as benefiting society as a whole.”