The news: AT&T is teaming up with remote patient monitoring (RPM) company Smart Meter to connect the latter’s RPM devices to AT&T’s Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G network.

How it will work: Five of Smart Meter’s devices will now contain an AT&T SIM card and run on AT&T’s network.

The five devices include: SmartRPM, which coordinates RPM data collection and sharing among providers; as well as its RPM devices, iGlucose, iBloodPressure, iScale, and iPulseOx that measure blood glucose levels, blood pressure, body weight, oxygen levels, respectively.

Since these devices will already come with an AT&T SIM card, they’ll be plug-and-plays—both providers and patients will be able to quickly and seamlessly access data collected by these devices without having to worry about connecting to WiFi or Bluetooth pairing. ​​

Why it matters: AT&T can capture a larger share of the RPM market as chronic condition rates explode and RPM users are on the rise.

AT&T’s IoT network spans all 50 states and it has already dipped its toes in the digital health space.

• For example, in December 2021, it partnered with Samsung and digital health firm Qure4u to provide RPM for patients with high blood pressure.
• AT&T connected Qure4u’s devices to its high-speed broadband network and handled the set-up, delivery, and management of the RPM devices

Moreover, the RPM market is ballooning, which means the timing is opportune for AT&T to dig deeper into healthcare:

• We expect RPM users to grow from 39.3 million in 2021 to 70.6 million in 2025, per our most recent forecast.

The bigger picture: Mobile network/5G providers have been delving deeper into telehealth and RPM since the pandemic-induced explosion of digital health tech. We expect to see these mobile networks score more health system/hospital partnerships this year as the trend towards RPM-integrated care continues to balloon.

• In February 2021, T-Mobile deployed 5G in the Miami Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System to bolster its telehealth capabilities.
• In April 2021, Verizon launched its HIPAA-compliant virtual care platform BlueJeans Telehealth in April 2021.
• In May 2021, Dish-owned Boost Mobile partnered with digital health startup K Health to provide free telehealth services to its Unlimited Plus plan subscribers.

Go deeper: Check out our “How 5G Will Change Healthcare” report to learn more about key areas of growth for 5G in healthcare.