



































Current Impact, Future Prospects and Implications of Mobile Healthcare in India


 

 

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Current Impact, Future Prospects 

and Implications of Mobile 

Healthcare in India 

 

Rishi Kappal1,2, Amit 

Mehndiratta3,4, Prabu Anandaraj5, 

Athanasios Tsanas4 

 
1MindActiv Consulting, Pune, India; 2MIT 
School of Telecom Management, Pune, 
India; 3Center for Biomedical 
Engineering, Indian Institute of 
Technology, Delhi, India; 4Institute of 
Biomedical Engineering and Keble 
College, University of Oxford, United 
Kingdom; 5School of Medical Science and 
Technology, Indian Institute of 
Technology, Kharagpur, India 

Vol. 3, No. 1 (2014)   |   ISSN 2166-7403 (online)  

DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2014.116 |   http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

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KAPPAL 

 

 

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Abstract 

India has a diverse geographical landscape and predominately rural population. Telemedicine is identified as one of the 

technological pillars to support healthcare services in this region, but is associated with high cost and complex infrastructure, thus 

restricting its wider use. Mobile-based healthcare (m-Health) services may provide a practical, promising alternative approach to 

support healthcare facilities. India has a high mobile user base, both in cities and in rural regions. The appropriate identification 

of mobile data transmission technology for healthcare services is vital to optimally use the available technology. In this article, 

we review current telecommunication systemsin India, specifically the evolving consensus on the need for CDMA (Code 

Division Multiple Access - a wireless technology used by leading international and national operators. This technology is 

deployed in 800MHz band making it economically viable and far reaching with high quality of services) to continue its 

operations in India along with mobile healthcare services. We also discuss how healthcare services may be extended using m-

Health technologies, given the availability of telecommunications and related services.  

Keywords: telemedicine, m-Health, telecommunication, mobile healthcare 

 

Current Impact, Future Prospects 

and Implications of Mobile 

Healthcare in India 

 

 

Rishi Kappal1,2, Amit Mehndiratta3,4, 

Prabu Anandaraj5, Athanasios 

Tsanas4 

 

1MindActiv Consulting, Pune, India; 2MIT 
School of Telecom Management, Pune, 
India; 3Center for Biomedical Engineering, 
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India; 
4Institute of Biomedical Engineering and 
Keble College, University of Oxford, United 
Kingdom; 5School of Medical Science and 
Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, 
Kharagpur, India 
 
 

Perspective 

Introduction 

India is the home to 1.24 billon people with a 

predominantely rural population.
1
 Geographically, 

India’s landscape is diverse, with both mountainous and 

seafront regions. Furthermore, a large percentage of the 

population resides in villages who often have limited 

access to direct provision of primary healthcare 

services. Due to these challenges, the healthcare system 

is primarily managed by the government and 

complemented by various private healthcare institutes. 

Delivering medical services to remote areas is 

extremely intensive and often not viable for private 

healthcare providers. 

While the government is primarily responsible 

for general healthcare, approximately 69% of the 

population has inadequate access to most health 

resources.
2
 The number of public health facilities is also 

insufficient. For instance, India needs over 74,000 

community health centers (CHC) per one million 

people, but it currently has approximately half that 

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number.
3
 Approximately 80% of total healthcare 

expenditure in the country is accounted for by those 

who see private healthcare providers; however, 70% of 

the healthcare infrastructure focuses almost exclusively 

on metropolitan cities. There is an impending need for 

innovation to maximize outreach and provide healthcare 

services to a wider population, primarily those in rural 

areas. 

The Indian government has launched multiple 

projects to facilitate healthcare services in rural 

regions.
4
 Telemedicine, one such project, may be able to 

facilitate the providing of vital healthcare services, even 

to the most remote parts of India. Telemedicine, by use 

of wireless technologies, will ensure that medical 

facilities are available to people in locations where 

physical healthcare facilities may be difficult to 

contruct, even in the most remote parts of India. Over 

the last ten years, the Indian government, along with 

private healthcare providers, has invested considerable 

research efforts and resources exploring the possibility 

of providing medical services and healthcare education 

to rural areas using telemedicine technology.
4,5

 

This article has three main foci of discussion. 

First, we address the current telecommunication 

environment in India, mobile technology, and services 

enabling m-Health. Second, we review published 

manuscripts, government reports, mobile healthcare 

provider’s web links, and publicly available articles on 

telecommunication and healthcare. The impact of 

telecommunication technology while considering the 

fate of m-Health in India is also highlighted. Third, we 

detail recommendations on which m-Health services can 

empower India at large. 

 

Telecommunication Services in India 

In India, m-Health services are subject to 

regulators’approval based on governmental guidelines. 

These services are not owned by any particular industry, 

so the first step in setting standard operating procedures 

is done by the government.
6
 The telecommunication 

industry (mobile and internet services) has grown 

exponentially in the last ten years, from under 37 

million users in 2001 to over 846 million users in 2011.
7
 

India also has the world's second-largest wireless phone 

user base, of which 37% are rural subscribers.
8
 The 

urban states are hyper-dense with a tele-density (defined 

as the number of telecommunication facilities per one 

hundred individuals) of 154%, while rural India has a 

tele-density of only 40%.
8
 Table 1 shows the rural and 

urban distribution of telecommunication services in 

India in 2012.
8
 

 

Table 1. Total wireless users and tele-density in India 

with urban and rural distribution as of September 2012. 

 

As of September 2012, approximately 50% of 

total wireless users have access to data services and the 

internet.
9
 However, of the 446 million data enabled 

users that can potentially access the internet on their 

phone, only 79 million actually use the function.
9
 There 

are many services available on mobile phones; however, 

not every mobile phone operator is informed of these 

services. While some operators activate data services by 

default with each connection, the gap between data 

ready phones and actively used data connections is wide 

due to the lack of education on the utility of such 

devices. This provides a sizeable window of opportunity 

to educate and connect rural India to receive m-Health 

services.  

Figure 1 depicts the status of wireless data 

technologies deployed in India, which gives the breadth 

of state-of-the-art telecommunications led data 

technology available for use. Wireless data technology 

deployment has lagged in India compared to global 

figures, but has succeeded by providing readily 

available, well-tested devices and services. In addition 

to existing broad- and narrow-band data technologies, 

facilitated by robust devices and services ecosystem, m-

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Health and telemedicine initiatives need only faster, 

economic services deployment and ownership by 

telecom ecosystem contributors in order to succeed. 

 

Figure 1. The trend of wireless technology (data speed) 

deployment in India and worldwide from 1996 to 2012. 

 

Table 2 reflects the time lag of technology 

deployment and also maps the coverage of various 

wireless data technologies launched in India. General 

packet radio service (GPRS) and enhanced data for 

global evolution (EDGE) are narrowband technologies 

only available PAN India. The available wireless 

technology across the nation is code division multiple 

access (CDMA), enhanced by voice-data optimized 

(EVDO) RevA and RevB. This ecosystem of EVDO 

can be further enhanced to deliver last mile broadband 

connectivity, especially since the technology is 

deployed in the 850MHz spectrum. This provides the 

possibility of low CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) 

technology deployment and unmatched in-building 

coverage and penetration, making it viable for semi-

urban and rural m-Health/telemedicine applications. 

Although these wireless technologies could help m-

health services deploy in a more efficient manner, 

CDMA and EVDO technology subscribers have 

declined in India. The cost of acquiring patients and 

services for deployment can be adequately managed 

with CDMA/EVDO services and devices. Since 

multiple operators already have a passive infrastructure 

in each semi-urban town/village, the deployment of 

telecommunication is viable. This could save almost 

30% CAPEX for operators and make m-Health services 

deployment more cost effective.
10

 

 

Table 2. Technological details of current 

telecommunication services and its launch in India. 

 

Why Should Technology Matter for m-Health? 

Stable and cost-effective technology for m-

Health: CDMA, EVDO, GSM (GPRS and EDGE), and 

High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) are very stable 

technologies that are proven globally for various data 

transmission processes using mobile phones and other 

data access devices, like USB dongles. 

CDMA, EVDO, and GSM (GPRS and EDGE) 

could be the most cost effective wireless technologies to 

be used in healthcare deprived areas of India. These 

technologies are more available, have the ability to 

connect most of the states, and incur very low cost to 

the end user (<$2 per month).   

HSPA technology could provide a higher 

bandwidth for large data transmission by facilitating 

advanced healthcare services; however, it is not 

available in all areas of India and is expensive. The 

spectrum band of 2100MHz, in which HSPA is 

deployed in India, is a viable constraint, and available in 

only the 5MHz spectrum in 3G, a further bottleneck. 

LTE TD (Long-Term Evolution, Time-

Division Duplex) technology is still not deployed in 

India, particularly because most mobile devices are not 

equipped to support it. LTE TD rollout obligations are 

long standing and are offered in 2300MHz, making it 

CAPEX intensive (e.g., rollout of this technology is 

much more expensive as compared to rollout of wireless 

technology in lower frequency spectrums such as 

700MHz and 800MHz frequency bands) and too far 

from reaching rural areas, leading to a low return on 

deployment.  

Choosing the appropriate technology is an 

integral part for m-Health services to reach the wider 

population in India.  

It is clear from the speeds and distances 

supported by these technologies that SMS based m-

Health applications can be supported in all wireless 

frameworks. The choice of technology depends on the 

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amount of data one needs to share between patient and 

doctor. Radiological images, vital statistics analyses, 

and single or multi-dimension data may require high 

data transmission protocols like EVDO and HSPA.  

 

m-HealthServices Available in India 

In India, some of the mobile services providers 

have already initiated m-heath consultations. For 

example, Airtel (a leading mobile service provider in 

India) has formed a collaboration with Healthfore (a 

division of Religare Technologies) and Fortis 

Healthcare (a Religare group company) to offer 

Mediphone services to its mobile users.
11

 By using this 

service, users are able to access basic medical guidance 

regarding non-emergency health problems over the 

phone. The service is available 24hrs a day for < $1 per 

consultation.
11

 Other telecommunication service 

providers launched similar services in 2011 in 

collaboration with HealthNet Global, a Hyderabad-

based emergency and healthcare management services 

firm.
12

 Paramedical staff equipped with laptops, with 

high speed wireless technology, and medical diagnostic 

equipment consult with remotely located physicians 

using video conferencing and offer guidance to mobile 

phone users calling for healthcare advice.
12

 

In December 2011, Equitas micro finance also 

launched a tele-healthcare delivery center in association 

with HealthNet Global.
13

 Equitas provides services such 

as “Consult 4 Health and Call 4 Health,” allowing its 

members to consult with Apollo Hospital physicians 

over video for approximately $1 per consultation.
13,14

 

The subject's data may be stored for further assessment, 

treatment, and subsequent follow-ups. Other new 

models in m-Health are also emerging, like a Mumbai-

based service called MeraDoctor (My Doctor) founded 

in 2010.
15

 This service provides healthcare consultation 

over the phone to its members. The basic package of 

MeraDoctor costs approximately $17 per month per 

user (Rs 1000 pm). Another example is “3nethra” from 

a Bangalore-based Forus Health.
16,17

 “3nethra” is a 

portable, non-invasive device, which could help in the 

early diagnosis of eye diseases such as cataract, diabetic 

retina, glaucoma and cornea related issues.
16,17

 The 

digital information captured by “3nethra” can be easily 

transmitted electronically for analysis and consultation 

from experts at tertiary center hospitals located far from 

the screening center.  

 

India Landscape: Basic m-Health Using Wireless 

Technology 

The most prolific and efficient technologies are 

between the spectrum band of 850MHz (CDMA) and 

900MHz (GSM) for India. Some healthcare services 

that can be provided using this platform include: 

1. SMS consulting: Increased access to mobile 

phones has led to the development of SMS 

services that connect users, allowing exchange 

of vital information and expert opinions in near 

real-time. This simple format allows users to 

ask time-sensitive questions anonymously to 

gain insight on potentially sensitive subjects. 

Concise information is easily spread, while 

being timely and conserving mobile battery.  

2. E-education on healthcare matters: Mobile 

services can be used to broadcast useful 

healthcare-related information to a wide 

population. The development of faster mobile 

networks and improved device technology 

allows for an unprecedented level of quality 

content to be streamed and viewed. This 

enables access to the web’s entire library of 

video tutorials, how-to program, virtual 

classrooms, peer-to-peer chat on health tips, 

etc. Users can learn appropriateand home care 

techniques like first aid and up-to-date medical 

information.  

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3. Do it yourself (DIY) check-ups: It provides self 

screening tutorials like oral hygiene, insulin 

syringe injections, preparation of ORS (Oral 

Rehydration Solutions) for dehydration 

treatment, breast feeding techniques, or even 

self breast examinations for mass or tumours. 

4. Improve drug compliance by mobile alert 

system: This program improves patient 

monitoring and drug compliance. One of the 

successful examples is multi drug therapy 

(MDT) for tuberculosis. This therapy must be 

administrated for 6 to 8 months and the failure 

rate for MDT is considerably high due to poor 

patient compliance.
18,19

 Recent studies by 

Barcaly
18

 and Kunawararak
19

 et al. have shown 

that the treatment success rate could improved 

to  over 90% by setting up an automated 

reminder to patients for drug either by SMS or 

a call. 

 

India Landscape: Advanced m-Health Using 

Wireless Narrowband and Broadband Technology 

The EVDO Rev A and Rev B networks 

deployed by CDMA operators are the most efficient 

alternative for data intensive healthcare applications like 

real time patient consulting or Tele-radiology. Due to 

the lack of device ecosystem of CDMA in India, 

HSPA+ might be the next best alternative available. The 

potential use of EVDO and HSPA technology in 

facilitating healthcare services are elaborated in Table 3. 

 

Table 3. The potential use of EVDO and HSPA 

technology in facilitating healthcare services. 

 

It is unclear as to which entities within the 

telecom ecosystem will take the lead in facilitating an 

m-Health solutionon the telecom network, 

encompassing medical experts for service delivery and 

making services reach the wider population in India, as 

well as determining billing mechanisms. 

 

Advanced m-Health Solutions for Chronic Diseases 

In addition to tele-consultation, m-Health 

might be useful in providing more advanced services to 

patient in the form of diagnosis and monitoring of 

diseases. Research has demonstrated that mobile 

technology can provide the means for accurately 

monitoring symptom and severity for diverse 

pathologies, including diabetes, coronary artery disease, 

and Parkinson’s disease. 

 

Diabetic Monitoring 

According to the International Diabetes 

Federation, India has the largest patient burden for 

diabetes mellitus, with approximately 50.8 million 

nationwide cases.
20

 The prevalence of diabetes varies 

between 6 to 8% in the urban population and 2 to 3% in 

the rural population.
20

 Mobile phone-based diabetic 

monitoring is currently in research and development. 

Many mobile applications have been developed to 

regularly record blood glucose in order to achieve a 

healthy lifestyle.
21,22

 Patients can keep a record of their 

blood glucose on a mobile phone, and their levels can 

be sent to a physician through data protected mobile 

services. This simple, self-collected process may 

alleviate individuals from frequent physical visits to the 

clinic for glucose testing. The mobile application might 

also provide useful analysis tools based on previous 

blood glucose measures of the patient. Thus, a patient 

can now self-monitor his or her diabetes and plan an 

appointment with a physician only when required. This 

could be a very cost effective example of personalized 

mobile-based healthcare facility.  

 

 

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Coronary Artery Disease and Remote ECG 

Monitoring   

There are around 45 million patients in India 

with coronary artery disease (CAD); one-fifth of all 

deaths are caused by CAD.
20

 At the current rate, it is 

expected that CAD will account for almost one-third of 

the total deaths by 2020.
20

 In CAD management, it is 

important to regularly monitor the patient’s cardiac 

function, which involves regular visits with medical 

experts to perform an electrocardiography (ECG) 

examination. Regular ECGs can be a lifesaving 

procedure since it can indicate when patient might be at 

risk for myocardial infarction. Smartheart devices are 

designed to record the 12-lead ECG and can transmit 

securely encrypted data to a mobile phone.
23

 The ECG 

signal may then be transmitted to a central processing 

unit at the patient’s hospital, where the medical team 

can assess and advise appropriate further action.  

 

Telemonitoring of Parkinson’s Disease Using Speech 

Signals 

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a 

neurodegenerative disorder affecting the central nervous 

system. Current prevalence of PD in India is 

approximately 3 million (diagnosed cases) and could be 

an additional 11 million undiagnosed cases according to 

a PD statistics report.
24

 It is possible to record various 

trademark PD characteristics (such as limb tremor) via 

dedicated devices to remotely assess symptom 

severity.
25

 However, many of these devices (e.g. 

accelerometers) are expensive and require careful 

placement to obtain reliable data. Recent research has 

shown the potential of using speech signals both to 

differentiate PD subjects from healthy controls
26

 and 

also for telemonitoring PD symptom severity.
27

 This 

aspect does not involve the use of specialized 

equipment, and the data is very easy to self-collect. 

Hence, someone using a mobile phone and a simple 

voice recording system could have direct access to an 

objective assessment of PD symptom severity.
28

 Then, 

medical experts might provide guidance on optimizing 

pharmacological treatment. 

 

Potential for Growth 

A recent report entitled "Global Telemedicine 

Market Analysis" by RNCOS Industry Research 

Solutions,
30

 an India-based market research and 

information analysis company, projects that the global 

telemedicine market will grow at a compound annual 

growth rate (CAGR) of around 19% from 2010 to 2015. 

An earlier report in 2009, titled “Global Telemedicine 

Market: 2008-2012” published by Infiniti Research,
31

 a 

London-based market intelligence firm, estimated the 

size of the global telemedicine market in 2008 at $9 

billion. According to another report by the University of 

Pennsylvania, Asia is the fastest growing region for the 

telemedicine market, with India and China leading the 

growth.
29

 

The current size of the telemedicine market in 

India is difficult to be accurately estimated. Murali Rao, 

associate vice president for healthcare at the New 

Delhi–based research and consultancy firm Technopak 

Advisors, estimates the current size of the Indian 

telemedicine market to be around $7.5 million,
29

 

suggesting “this is expected to grow at a [compound 

annual growth rate] of 20% over the next five years”, or 

approximately $18.7 million by 2017. Mehta of PwC on 

the other hand notes: “Studies indicate that the size of 

India's telemedicine market is expected to be $500 

million US by 2015.”
29

 

 

Challenges Remain and Options Available 

Various challenges still remain in the 

telemedicine market in India, despite the fact that 

telemedicine is gaining popularity around India.  

Choice of wireless technology: CDMA EVDO 

is a technology well-positioned to leverage m-Health 

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and telemedicine solutions. However, with availability 

of other technologies, CDMA operators are returning 

precious spectrum back to government
32

 and not 

contesting for more CDMA spectrum. This, in effect, 

will make CDMA dormant, and m-Health solutions on 

HSPA will not be as cost effective. Secondly, for 

wireless led healthcare, data networks should be stable 

and promise a ubiquitous experience across 

geographies. This, again, is compromised due to the 

overpriced and patchy HSPA spectrum presently and 

lack of investment continuity on HSPA from operators, 

since the existing investment awaits returns. Moreover, 

no operator has a PAN India HSPA presence. The 

available 2.3GHz LTE spectrum in India is a very 

CAPEX intensive setup to deploy. The LTE spectrum is 

on LTE TDD, which is less popular globally. LTE 

network owners restrict themselves to only the top 10 to 

20 cities. In this scenario, it is important that a more 

cost effective wireless technology be launched in rural 

India. If the government allowed more CDMA/EVDO 

spectrum to be available to operators at an affordable 

price (in India, spectrum price is decided by the 

government), this would encourage operators to deploy 

a more affordable wireless technology to reach rural 

areas in India. 

Doctor-patient relationship: Mutual trust 

between patient and their doctor is important and is 

benefitted by the physical presence of both. In 

telemedicine or m-Health services, a virtual world might 

assist establishing a doctor-patient relationship. The 

potential of m-health in India is still under-realized 

because the lack of awareness among the population and 

lack of an appropriate service providing model. This 

would require an initiative from government agencies 

and private healthcare providers. In effect, m-Health 

services will not be successful until doctors are more 

enthusiastic and market m-Health as the most cost 

effective mode for providing quality healthcare in India. 

Well-recognized leaders in semi-urban and rural Indian 

states need to use telemedicine solutions. This will 

reduce perceived risk of relationships with other 

populations in the near vicinity. Also, projects like 

Gramjyoti
33

 (launched by Ericsson India in 

collaboration with a large medical institute to 

demonstrate the benefits and use of 3G based 

telemedicine services in rural India) should be 

encouraged, in which the larger community sees 

delivery of a physical service through the virtual world.  

Strengthening of ecosystem and its awareness: 

The Indian telecom and medical ecosystem has 

limitations dependent on regulators, technology 

providers, technology deployment agencies, content 

providers, device developers, sales, and marketing 

companies. With so many factors, lack of ownership is 

imminent since each ecosystem partner will have to 

make sizeable investments. The telecomservice 

providers and patients need to be defined, facilitated, 

and executed. This, combined with technology and 

affordable devices, will be the tipping point. All parts of 

the telecom ecosystem must coexist to make a 

deployment solution mechanism.  

Standardization of solutions: In m-Health, the 

accountability of error needs to be examined when more 

service providers enter the domain. Standardization will 

lead to seamless adoption by relevant agencies and 

ensure timely upgrades so as to avoid redundant 

services. India’s partnering with global telecom 

standardization agencies like ITU-T and 3GPP/3GPP2 

should develop telemedicine and healthcare service 

standardization authorities to lend a common approach 

to the partners at large. 

Reducing cost: The cost of m-health delivery 

still remains a challenge; however, it is expected that 

initiation of PAN India government funded projects 

might reduce the cost and increase the benefit of the 

technology. Also, by using CDMA as technology of 

choice, capital expenditure and operational expenditure 

optimization will lead to lesser cost of service delivery. 

 

 

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Acknowledgement 

Authors would like to thank the Keble College 

at University of Oxford, United Kingdom for its 

support. 

 

References 

1. India: World development indicators. 2012. 

http://data.worldbank.org/country/india. Accessed October 27, 

2014. 

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27. Tsanas A, Little MA, McSharry PE, Ramig LO. Nonlinear 

speech analysis algorithms mapped to a standard metric 

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achieve clinically useful quantification of average Parkinson’s 

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855. 

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signal processing: concepts and algorithms. 8th International 

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=4675. Accessed October 27, 2014. 

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Table 1: Total wireless users and tele-density in India with urban and rural distribution as 

of September 2012. 

 

Total Wireless Users 906.62 million  

     Urban Wireless Users 571.70 million (63.06%)  

     Rural Wireless Users 33.49 million (36.94%)  

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KAPPAL 

 

 

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of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

 

Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 3, No. 1 (2014)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)   |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2014.116  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 

 

Table 2: Technological details of current telecommunication services and its launch in 

India. 

Data Technology Data Speed Global 

Launch 

Year 

India Launch 

Year 

India Coverage 

GPRS
34

 40 kbps 2000 Jan. 16, 2002 by 

BPL Mobile
35

 

Pan India by all GSM wireless 

operators in 900 MHz and 1800 

MHz spectrum band 

EDGE
36

 120 - 384 kbps 2003 July 28, 2004
37,38

 Pan India by all GSM wireless 

operators in 900 MHz and 1800 

MHz spectrum band 

1X CDMA2000
39

 154 kbps 2002 May 2003
39

 First launch by Reliance, followed 

by Tata Indicom, BSNL and MTS. 

Reliance and Tata provide Pan India 

1X CDMA 2000 network, launched 

in 850 MHz spectrum band 

EVDO Rev A
39

 2.1 mbps 

upload and 1.8 

mbps 

download 

2006 2008
40,41

 Launched by Tata under brand name 

of Tata Photon, followed by 

Reliance, BSNL and MTS in 850 

MHz spectrum band. Tata
42

and 

Reliance
43

 provide EVDO Rev A 

coverage Pan India 

EVDO Rev B
39

 9.3 mbps 

upload and 5.4 

mbps 

download with 

3 carriers 

2010 Sept. 2011
44,45

 Available in top 16 cities across 

India, by Tata, Reliance and MTS, in 

850 MHz spectrum band 

HSPA/HSPA+
46

 Up to 14.4 

mbps/42 mbps 

with MIMO 

2005/2009 Feb. 2009 limited 

launch by BSNL;
47

 

First private 

No operator has Pan India 3G 

coverage on 2100 MHz spectrum 

band;
49

 Limited 3G coverage and 

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CENTRAL ASIAN JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH 

 

 

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Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 3, No. 1 (2014)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)   |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2014.116  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 

 

operator HSPA 

launch in India on 

Nov. 5, 2010, Tata 

Teleservices
48

 

mobile broadband experience on 

HSPA+ yet to stabilize. Only 5 MHz 

of 3G spectrum allocated by 

government. 

LTE
50

 Up to 100 

mbps 

2009 April 2012
51

 LTE-TDD in 2.3 GHz spectrum 

band, launched by Airtel  and 

recently by Aircel. No further 

launches to date. Expensive 

technology with limitedLTE TDD 

handsets available. 

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KAPPAL 

 

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States License. 

 

This journal is published by theUniversity Library System of the University of Pittsburgh as part  

of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

 

Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 3, No. 1 (2014)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)   |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2014.116  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 

 

Table 3: The potential use of EVDO and HSPA technology in facilitating healthcare 

services. 

 

Distance Learning and Diagnosis a) Mobile led video assisted healthcare awareness [20,21] 

b) Connecting to hospitals at a distance: In late 2009, hospitals 

in Sierra Leone launched a satellite link-up to connect 

doctors in the country to doctors in India where there is 

better equipment for data analysis. This facilitates real-time 

consultations between doctors in the field and specialists in 

hospitals 

c) Remote patient monitoring 

d) Web tutorials based healthcare [22] 

e) Web based anatomical display of symptoms and diagnosis 

[23] 

f) Self-help groups [24] 

Handheld Hospital a) Mobile phone based ophthalmic test equipment [25] 

b) Mobile phone enabled biometric and vital signs tester [26] 

Tracking Services a) Tracking medicines delivery [27] 

b) Smart labels for medicine time reminders [28] 

c) Mobile RFID based patients records tracking in hospitals 

[29] 

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KAPPAL 

 

 

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This journal is published by theUniversity Library System of the University of Pittsburgh as part  

of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

 

Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 3, No. 1 (2014)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)   |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2014.116  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 

 

Figure 1: The trend of wireless technology (data speed) deployment in India and worldwide 

from 1996 to 2012. 

 

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