M1 and Fullerton Health to offer 5G-powered maritime telemedicine later this year

The service includes live teleconsultations with shore-based doctors and the use of 5G-enabled drones to deliver medicine.

Maritime companies will be able to provide their ship crew with access to 5G-powered telemedicine services from July, thanks to a partnership between M1 and Fullerton Health.

Using Fullerton Health’s existing telemedicine mobile app, seafarers onboard vessels in Singapore waters can request live teleconsultations with healthcare professionals that are based on shore. The high-res videos of the teleconsultations — enabled by M1’s 5G stand-alone network — makes it possible for healthcare professionals to assess and diagnose some conditions remotely, such as flu, digestive problems and minor cuts or sprains.

Thereafter, 5G-enabled drones can deliver medicine to the ship crew from the Singapore mainland within three hours post-consultation. In the event of inclement weather, the delivery might be delayed or the healthcare professional might advise the use of items in first aid kits found in vessels, depending on the condition of the injured seafarer.

5G-enabled drone dropping off the medicine package onto the vessel

5G-enabled drone dropping off the medicine package onto the vessel. Photo: M1

“This partnership with M1 greatly improves the usability and accessibility of Fullerton Health’s services. We want to harness the 5G network to provide virtual healthcare solutions, including telehealth and remote patient monitoring and care team collaboration, as the health and safety of port workers and sailors are critical to global trade and supply chains, and we are grateful to be able to contribute toward this,” says Ho Kuen Loon, group chief executive officer of Fullerton Health.

For M1, this collaboration marks the next phase of its journey to provide ubiquitous 5G standalone offshore coverage for the Southern Coast of Singapore, as part of the maritime testbed efforts announced last August.

A suite of plug-and-play 5G-powered enterprise solutions

The telemedicine service falls under the M1 SMARTsafe solution, which aims to address worker safety. The telco shares that there are plans to offer a 5G bundle with Samsung Galaxy smartwatches, which can monitor the vital stats and status of workers. Those information can be used to detect risk and forecast accidents based on past data, as well as enable a more accurate diagnosis for teleconsultation when needed.

M1 also has three other 5G-powered solutions that can help ease some of the maritime industry’s challenges. They are:

• M1 SMARTsecure – Security surveillance and management solutions that bring lag-free and real-time video surveillance at sea.

• M1 SMARTasset – Asset uptime solutions that use autonomous robotics for the inspection of critical assets.

• M1 SMARTops – Workforce productivity solutions come with 5G-powered tools, such as smart glasses, to help businesses enhance productivity and efficiency.

While these solutions are initially aimed at the maritime industry, they can be used by other industries facing similar issues too.

According to M1, these solutions are designed to be plug-and-play, offering seamless integration with pre-tested components of M1’s 5G network. This eliminates the hassle of identifying and procuring different components separately, ensures quick deployment, and minimises huge roll-out costs.

“M1 continues to double down on our efforts to co-create and introduce viable 5G-enabled commercial solutions to further revolutionise Singapore’s maritime operations and make Maritime 5G a reality,” says Manjot Singh Mann, chief executive officer of M1.

He continues: “This launch is a testament to our promise to deliver readily available innovative 5G solutions that can be adopted and rolled out easily by businesses to improve business efficiency. Going forward, M1 will continue to strengthen our position as a forerunner in 5G enterprise solutions by partnering with more businesses across various industries.”

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