Tag: mobile tech

Mobile technology may be the secret to Ebola containment

| October 24, 2014

The use of smartphones and tablets may help in the process of contact tracing in West Africa.

The Ebola crisis in West Africa has now officially grabbed the attention of the world, and some now believe that mobile technology could be the key to being able to keep this virus contained.

The reason is that many believe that mobile devices can help to improve contact tracing in this West African crisis.

The concept of contact tracing has become one that is recognized worldwide as people in countries around the world keep on top of the latest in the Ebola crisis and the methods that are being employed in order to contain it. Experts in the area are trying to press the fact that communication is the vital component to any strategy to keep this virus controlled, and mobile technology can be central to making sure that a crisis situation such as this one in Africa can stay contained.

Mobile technology was a vital element of the strategy that informed those who had been in contact with a Liberian patient.

Mobile Technology - EbolaWhen Thomas Eric Duncan was found to have the Ebola virus, massive information campaigns were launched to help to notify those who may have been exposed to the virus through contact with him. Sadly, Mr. Duncan died on October 8 in a Dallas, Texas hospital.

According to Dr. Joel Selanikio, an expert in infectious diseases, time is a critical factor when communicating with individuals in this type of a situation. Dr. Selanikio’s company, Magpi, uses mobile data collection in combination with a messaging software tool that helps to speed up the process of providing people in crisis situations – such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa – with the information that they need.

Selanikio explained that “What Magpi does is it recognizes that within global health, for example during this Ebola outbreak, there’s a lot of information that needs to be collected.” He added that this type of tool using mobile technology can be one of the most effective ways to track down anyone who could have had contact with someone who has received a diagnosis.

5G is on its way with a nod from the FCC

| October 22, 2014

The next generation of mobile data technology is now already preparing for life as carriers still work on their 4G LTE.

At the same time that many wireless carriers in the United States and around the world are still working on the roll outs of their 4G LTE networks, Federal regulators in the U.S. are already turning their attention toward 5G.

This next generation of wireless and mobile technology will be tremendously faster than the current best.

The speed that 5G has to offer will be 1,000 times faster than what the average American currently receives from their fixed broadband connection at home. This will represent a revolution in the way that people will be able to access mobile data and could bring a defining difference to various areas such as m-commerce and viewing different types of media content over smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices.

This could mean that 5G will reduce or eliminate some of the obstacles currently faced in wireless technology.

5G - Mobile Technology - FCCThe Federal Communications Commission now believes that this new wireless technology for mobile devices holds a considerable amount of promise within a high energy spectrum that has turned the attention of the industry toward the “millimeter waves” as a result of their frequency. The FCC has stated that it is going to look to the public in order to discover exactly what can be done for the promotion of this technology.

Engineers that have been working to develop this next level of wireless transmission technology have found that the current standard typically requires a considerable line of site connection between the receiver and the source. However, when using an advanced spectrum within the range of 24 gigahertz, which is notably higher than the level at which the majority of mobile devices operate (which is currently within the range below 3GHz), engineers feel that it will be possible for signals to be able to “ricochet” around obstacles.

FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, spoke about 5G, saying that “Our next-generation networks are going to have to do some heavy lifting,” and added “So how do we meet those demands? We look up. Way, way up. To infinity and beyond.”