We’re going to be hearing a lot about 5G this year. It’s one of the buzzwords for 2019. Major carriers in countries like the United States and South Korea will be opening up their consumer 5G networks as mobile manufacturers launch compatible devices. The next-generation network technology is also being used in other applications. It was used for successfully completing the first 5G remote surgery in China.
According to local reports, the world’s first remote surgery equipment using 5G was successfully tested in China. The test involved a doctor in the southeastern province of Fujian removing the liver of a laboratory test animal at a remote location. The doctor performed the surgery by controlling robotic surgical arms over a 5G connection.
The lag time was said to be only 0.1 seconds between the control device of the doctor and the robot in the surgical room. The researchers said that this high speed can reduce the risk of potentially deadly medical mistakes. They hope that 5G enabled remote surgery will soon become reliable enough that it can be used safely on humans as well.
This could end up saving countless lives as skilled surgeons will be able to operate on patients in remote locations in a safe manner.