Ericsson announced that an ambulance demonstration today showed vital medical data, voice and video using IPv6 and seamlessly roaming over 2G and 3G systems as well as wireless LANs. As part of the EU-project IPv6 Wireless Internet Initiative (6WINIT) it signifies an important step towards the vision of mobile users being “Always Best Connected”.
Three key technologies were brought together for the first time to show the usefulness of seamless mobile services: next generation Internet (IPv6), 3G (WCDMA) and Multi-Access.
The medical emergency system, called Guardian Angel, can seamlessly move between different types of access networks — whatever is the best available in a certain location. From a hospital setting, doctors can observe the patient in the ambulance, check the heart rate and blood pressure, using mobile networks such as GSM/GPRS or UMTS/WCDMA. Once the ambulance reaches the hospital, the system can automatically switch over to an indoor WLAN hot spot. Data flows can use separate network interfaces in parallel. For example, if the WLAN does not have sufficient reliability, vital data transmissions could simultaneously use a GSM/GPRS or UMTS/WCDMA channel.
The IPv6 Wireless Internet Initiative (6WINIT) is led by University College London and was started in early 2001 with a powerful consortium including carriers, suppliers, research organizations, hospitals and universities. 6WINIT will validate the introduction of the new Mobile Wireless Internet in Europe, promoting European operational testbeds to plan, build and demonstrate an end-to-end IPv6 enabled mobile environment.
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