The UK Government's decision to ease restrictions on the use of mobile phones in hospitals may not prove the boon to patients that was intended. Industry experts have pointed out that using a mobile phone in a hospital may be difficult or even impossible because of poor coverage. The long-standing blanket ban on mobile phones has meant that network coverage has not been a factor in the design and building of hospitals over the last few years. ADC vice president John Spindler points out that there is no reason why some arrangements cannot be made for mobile coverage in the required areas but it would be helpful if planners considered this issue when designing hospitals in the future.
Despite UK mobile operators spending millions of pounds on deploying their wide area networks, in-building coverage remains problematical, hence the growing interest in femtocell technology.
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