Veterans Health Administration and Verizon test 5G MEC and drones

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Verizon Public Sector has been collaborating with the Veterans Health Administration's National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation (NCCHI) and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) in the development and testing of 5G MEC and drones designed to improve safety and efficiency.

From the curation of advanced sensor-enabled drones, to technical integrations, and FAA-compliant pilot training, early work has validated the potential to enhance operations including safety, security and physical infrastructure monitoring.

As part of the overall safety initiative, Verizon and VHA are also evaluating the technologies' ability to improve search and rescue performance in situations such as patient elopement.

VHA and Verizon have also developed a comprehensive capabilities roadmap that include partnership with other agencies as well as the inclusion of additional cutting-edge enhancements. These include autonomous operations capabilities, to expand the capacity of staff in emergencies, while also allowing responsiveness beyond traditional visual line of sight.

Read the full press release here.

Verizon