5G at the service of connected hospitals in France
In the heart of Bordeaux, France, one of Europe’s leading hospitals is embarking on a bold transformation: turning its vast campus into a seamless, intelligent environment where technology quietly empowers every moment of care.
The 5MART HO5PITAL project will turn the Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU) into a fully 5G-connected healthcare environment, using Bouygues Telecom Business’s standalone multi band network and Ericsson’s advanced radio, edge and geolocation solutions. Over three years, 18 buildings across 45 hectares will be linked by secure, high performance connectivity that keeps sensitive medical data within hospital walls, prioritizes critical systems, and delivers ultra low latency for AI driven diagnostics, AR assisted surgery, and real time collaboration. From connected ambulances and surgical glasses to drone sample transport, each innovation is designed to shorten response times, streamline operations, and enhance patient journeys, creating a blueprint for resilient, secure smart hospitals across Europe.
The challenge
Bordeaux University Hospital needed a scalable, secure connectivity architecture that preserves data locality, ensures redundancy, and delivers consistent indoor and outdoor performance.
- Provide consistent, high-quality 5G coverage across 18 buildings and 45 hectares.
- Segregate traffic and guarantee network resources for critical clinical systems while allowing public access for patients and visitors.
- Keep sensitive clinical data local and minimize latency for real-time AI and remote care applications.
- Ensure geographic redundancy and disaster recovery for mission-critical connectivity.
- Deliver precise indoor and outdoor geolocation to support asset tracking, staff safety and emergency response.
The solution
The answer is a hybrid 5G architecture combining Bouygues Telecom’s multi-band standalone core with Ericsson’s RAN, edge and location solutions, plus on‑premises Local Packet Gateways to meet the hospital’s security, latency and resilience requirements.
- Ericsson Radio DOT deployment: multi-operator capable RAN access points delivering seamless indoor and outdoor coverage across the 45-hectare campus.
- Network slicing on Bouygues Telecom’s 5G SA to reserve radio and core resources for hospital-critical flows while supporting public services for patients and visitors.
- Geo-redundant Local Packet Gateways (LPG) installed on the hospital premises to keep clinical data local, reduce latency and enable real-time AI and clinical applications.
- Ericsson Network Location (ENL) and geolocation platform providing high-precision indoor and outdoor positioning for asset tracking, staff safety and emergency geolocation.
- 5G used as a primary and backup connectivity path for critical IT systems and emergency applications, improving operational resilience and disaster recovery.
Expected results
- Safety & resilience: faster emergency response through reliable 5G backup and real-time geolocation; stronger disaster recovery with geo-redundant LPGs.
- Improved patient & clinician experience: shorter wait times, enhanced bedside digital services, AR/3D-assisted surgery and real-time clinical collaboration.
- Operational efficiency: optimized logistics (drone sample transport, equipment tracking), prioritized network access for critical flows, and reduced downtime.
- Innovation & clinical outcomes: enable telemedicine and emergency medical service, remote assistance via connected glasses, and faster adoption of AI for diagnostics and planning.
- Scalable model: a demonstrable template for secure, hybrid 5G hospital deployments across Europe.