Novant Health has deployed an enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 6E solution from Extreme Networks that offers advanced performance and reliability.
Extreme Networks, a cloud-driven networking company, has revealed that Novant Health is the first enterprise customer to publicly announce the deployment of an enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 6E solution.
The investment in the Extreme AP4000 access point (AP) will allow Novant Health, a three-state integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals headquartered in North Carolina, to deliver high-speed Wi-Fi throughout its facilities and enable secure, dedicated connectivity for mission-critical healthcare applications and medical devices.
Extreme’s AP4000 operates in the 6 GHz frequency spectrum, delivering the fastest Wi-Fi available today through a pristine radio frequency (RF) environment that is unburdened by other devices that operate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrum.
This capability is invaluable in high-density network environments like Novant Health’s, which rely on thousands of connected medical devices for patient care.
Key benefits to Novant Health:
• Advanced Wi-Fi 6E reliability and performance: With additional spectrum, Novant Health can deliver more convenience and an improved care experience to patients. This allows them to ensure their network has capacity to add new services based on world-class technologies, such as digital communication tools, telehealth, and safe and secure medical record management systems, without compromising network performance. The AP4000 offers 6 GHz channels and Wi-Fi 6E provides clean spectrum for hospital-owned client devices, enabling better reliability for mission-critical applications while reducing congestion in the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands.
• Secure, high-speed connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E provides new levels of security and authentication through WPA3 and Enhanced Open, two wireless security standards from Wi-Fi Alliance. Novant Health also utilizes Extreme Campus Controller and ExtremeCloud IQ to manage its campus infrastructure. ExtremeCloud IQ is the only cloud network management platform currently ISO 27017 and ISO 27701 certified, in addition to being ISO 27001 certified since October 2019. As an ISO 27001 certified WLAN vendor, Extreme also enables healthcare staff to ensure patient records and data remain secure when connecting to Novant Health’s electronic medical record system.
• Simplified network management: ExtremeCloud IQ delivers a single pane of glass cloud network management solution, which Novant Health uses in tandem with Extreme Campus Controller for on-premise management and Extreme Fabric Connect for network automation. ExtremeCloud IQ, Extreme Campus Controller, and Extreme Fabric Connect simplify management of all network devices including the AP4000, and the Novant Health digital products and services team can ensure an always-on environment that staff can rely on for patient care. Enablement of Wi-Fi 6E will also provide a roadmap for enhanced wireless deployments as Novant Health continues to grow and deliver technology-driven healthcare services.
Executive perspectives
Rob Hale, Manager of Infrastructure and Technical Engineering, Novant Health, said: “Ubiquitous wireless connectivity is a necessity for both patient care and team member safety, and Wi-Fi 6E is already playing an important role in sustaining the necessary tools to assist staff in supporting our patients’ journey to health and wellness.
“The new Wi-Fi 6E APs from Extreme enable us to tap into a fast, secure and interference-free spectrum, ensuring our most demanding and mission-critical, technology-dependent services can operate more reliably and with greater speed and performance.”
Allen Rider, Chief Wireless Network Architect, Novant Health, said: “Wi-Fi 6E brings 1200 Mhz of interference-free spectrum that will enable advanced healthcare deployment scenarios. Our mission-critical, Wi-Fi-enabled care equipment will now have its own clean airspace to ensure the delivery of revolutionary new services.
“This opens the door for all Novant Health teams to dream big when it comes to the innovation in mobile care. Wi-Fi 6E is the catalyst that will enable our vision of next-generation healthcare and patient experiences.”
Kevin Robinson, SVP of Marketing, Wi-Fi Alliance, said: “Wi-Fi 6E networks provide advanced connectivity that puts companies at the forefront of the healthcare industry when it comes to wireless deployments. The 6 GHz band opens new Wi-Fi use cases within industries like healthcare, and Wi-Fi 6E will greatly improve performance in high-density and mission-critical environments to create a more reliable experience for both staff and patients.”
Nabil Bukhari, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Product Officer, Extreme Networks, said: “Healthcare organizations have faced extraordinary challenges over the past 18 months and require the best possible wireless solutions to empower their staff to deliver a seamless patient experience and keep up with the increasing demand for care.
“Following its mass vaccination event this past February, Novant Health continues to prove that it is a cutting-edge healthcare organization and Extreme is committed to supporting their team as they advance their capabilities. We’re proud to be the first to deliver a Wi-Fi 6E deployment in the healthcare industry.”
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