It’s 4:00 p.m. in a corporate office. A 54-year-old man collapses, clutching his chest. Panic spreads. Unsure of what to do, one of his colleagues calls the Balearic emergency medical services. Within minutes, an advanced 5G-connected ambulance—equipped with real-time ECG transmission, built-in defibrillators, and direct connection to IBSalut specialists—is on its way. It arrives in under 9 minutes, and treatment begins even before the patient reaches the hospital.
This isn’t a distant future scenario. It’s happening today in real-life trials in cities like Palma de Mallorca, representing a radical transformation in how medical emergencies are managed—with speed, intelligence and life-saving precision.
Medical emergencies and 5G connectivity: a vital shift
In emergencies, every second counts. Streaming live data and video from the ambulance to the hospital can mean the difference between life and death. Thanks to 5G-SA connectivity, ECGs, vital signs and high-resolution video are transmitted in real time to the emergency centre before arrival. This allows the medical team to assess, plan admission and prepare the necessary intervention during transport—gaining crucial minutes to save lives.
Multiple devices continuously transmit data to a central monitoring unit via 5G, enabling faster and more accurate clinical decisions. In large-scale scenarios such as disasters or mass events, this remote communication enhances the coordination of healthcare resources.
International studies show that an efficient emergency service not only reduces mortality but also eases the burden on hospitals by optimising resource usage. In this context, Telefónica Empresas, together with Fortinet and IBSalut, has carried out a proof of concept for a connected ambulance.
To validate the benefits in a real-world setting, Telefónica Empresas, in collaboration with Fortinet and IBSalut, conducted a proof of concept using a connected ambulance. The test was carried out on a route between the 061 ambulance base in Palma de Mallorca and the airport. On the outward journey, Movistar Intranet with Premium Quality and Fortinet flexWAN were used, delivering exceptional connection quality. On the return trip, however, the video call was made without this setup, allowing a direct comparison of service performance and stability.
Stable calls guaranteed thanks to 5G technology
Movistar Intranet is a premium mobile private network service designed for businesses and public administrations. It securely integrates mobile devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets) into the corporate intranet, sharing the same IP address space as the fixed network. Key technologies such as Network Slicing and Quality on Demand (QoD) are applied on top of this platform.
In practice, this enables the creation of “slices” or priority segments within the mobile network, reserving resources such as bandwidth, priority and low latency for critical traffic. The Quality on Demand solution allows companies to activate predefined service profiles to ensure that key applications maintain stable connectivity, even in congested environments.
In the Proof of Concept (PoC), the outbound journey to the airport used Movistar Intranet with Premium Quality and Fortinet-enabled flexWAN—a secure SD-WAN solution co-developed by Telefónica Tech and Fortinet, a global leader in cybersecurity. flexWAN dynamically assembles the ambulance’s network link by combining mobile connectivity with secure VPN tunnels and edge security policies. Thanks to flexWAN, video call traffic is routed through a FortiGate device at the medical centre, providing encryption, firewall protection, and efficient traffic management.
On the return journey, the video call was made without these advanced services, relying on standard mobile internet quality, without dedicated slices or QoD.
The PoC was supported by a hybrid mobile network with advanced functionalities such as dynamic slicing. On this foundation, the Premium Quality solution activated a dedicated slice for the outbound trip, ensuring a high-quality service.
To assess performance, specialised tools were used to measure signal strength, latency, packet loss and jitter throughout the journey. In parallel, Fortinet monitored the traffic via FortiGate, detecting micro-outages and network adjustments. This monitoring enabled an objective comparison of the stability and quality of the video calls—with and without Premium Quality—highlighting the improved experience and reliability enabled by advanced connectivity.
Discover the results of this concept test
The results clearly demonstrate the advantages of efficient connectivity. During the outbound journey, with Movistar Intranet and Premium Quality enabled, the video call from the ambulance remained stable and smooth throughout. Audio and video quality stayed consistently high, with no significant interruptions. Sensors recorded a strong signal and stable latency—just a few dozen milliseconds—ideal for real-time medical communication.
In contrast, during the return trip, using standard connectivity without Premium Quality, intermittent micro-outages were detected: brief video call dropouts and image glitches, particularly in areas with weaker coverage or higher network congestion. Latency showed sharp fluctuations, and occasional packet loss occurred—issues that did not appear with Premium Quality active.
Technicians monitoring the test confirmed these differences: with Premium Quality, communication with the ambulance crew was continuous, enabling seamless exchange of audio, video and patient data. Without Premium Quality, the experience was less stable, with the video call needing to be reconnected several times.
In short, the Premium Quality video call did not suffer any critical interruptions, whereas the standard connection experienced brief losses. This highlights how network service differentiation (slicing + Premium Quality) improves the transmission of sensitive mobile data—vital in prehospital medical care.
Scalability in sectors with critical communication needs
Uninterrupted communication is vital in sectors where every second counts. The joint solution from Telefónica Empresas and Fortinet has proven effective in drastically reducing critical disruptions during medical emergencies. The impact is measurable: reduced pressure on emergency departments, improved diagnosis, and more efficient prehospital care.
But the benefits extend beyond healthcare. This model is scalable and applicable to any public or private service that relies on secure mobile communications with zero connectivity failures: fire brigades, police forces, ground or air ambulance services, or large-scale events with high network demand.
The combination of slicing and Premium Quality delivers prioritised, high-quality transmission, ensuring that critical communications remain active even in heavily congested environments.
If your organisation manages critical communications and requires secure, high-performance connectivity, we invite you to join the Telefónica Open Gateway Partner Programme. Get in touch with us and our expert team will help you design a tailored solution—easy to integrate and scalable to your specific needs.
