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Review
. 2025 Jan 21;25(3):615.
doi: 10.3390/s25030615.

Optimizing Spectral Utilization in Healthcare Internet of Things

Adeel Iqbal  1 , Ali Nauman  1 , Yazdan Ahmad Qadri  1 , Sung Won Kim  1
Affiliations
Review

Optimizing Spectral Utilization in Healthcare Internet of Things

Adeel Iqbal et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

The mainstream adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices for health and lifestyle tracking has revolutionized health monitoring systems. Sixth-generation (6G) cellular networks enable IoT healthcare services to reduce the pressures on already resource-constrained facilities, leveraging enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency communication (eURLLC) to make sure critical health data are transmitted with minimal delay. Any delay or information loss can result in serious consequences, making spectrum availability a crucial bottleneck. This study systematically identifies challenges in optimizing spectrum utilization in healthcare IoT (H-IoT) networks, focusing on issues such as dynamic spectrum allocation, interference management, and prioritization of critical medical devices. To address these challenges, the paper highlights emerging solutions, including artificial intelligence-based spectrum management, edge computing integration, and advanced network architectures such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) and terahertz (THz) communication. We identify gaps in the existing methodologies and provide potential research directions to enhance the efficiency and reliability of eURLLC in healthcare environments. These findings offer a roadmap for future advancements in H-IoT systems and form the basis of our recommendations, emphasizing the importance of tailored solutions for spectrum management in the 6G era.

Keywords: 6G; artificial intelligence; eURLLC; healthcare Internet of things.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A general framework of H-IoT networks. The different use cases and stakeholders are identified.
Figure 2
Figure 2
General structure of the study.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Key challenges in spectrum utilization for H-IoT networks.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Functional difference between cloud and edge computing.
Figure 5
Figure 5
THz band in the electromagnetic spectrum.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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