LTE-M for IoT Healthcare - Regression or Adaptation?

The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed the healthcare industry, enabling remote monitoring, telemedicine, and smart medical devices. Selecting the appropriate communication technology is crucial for the success of IoT applications in healthcare. While the industry has explored various technologies, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Radio Frequency (RF)-based (IEEE 802.15.4) solutions, there has been a recent shift back to cellular-based solutions, such as LTE-M (Long-Term Evolution for Machines), Narrow Band (NB)-IoT. This article examines whether this shift signifies a regression or an adaptation to the evolving requirements of healthcare IoT applications. We delve into the advantages of LTE-M over traditional GSM and RF technologies, including scalability, mobility, power efficiency, and discuss its use cases in healthcare IoT, such as remote patient monitoring and emergency response. The article motivates that the shift to LTE-M is an adaptation to the changing needs of healthcare IoT applications, making it a powerful and flexible communication technology in the ever-evolving landscape of IoT healthcare.