Preparing Smart Healthcare Campuses for 2026: Why Private 5G and DAS Matter
Hospitals across the country are planning major capital projects for 2026. For many, this includes reimagining the critical nature of how connectivity supports a multitude of applications including patient care, staff communication, and everyday business operations.
Wireless infrastructure isn’t an afterthought anymore. It’s a critical enabler of mission critical applications—and it needs to be planned like one.
The Problem with Relying on Wi-Fi Alone
Wi-Fi currently plays a key role in supporting various applications on hospital networks, but it wasn’t designed for the demands of clinical care. As more applications go digital and wireless device use expands, Wi-Fi-only setups often start to show cracks. Bandwidth-intensive needs like imaging transfers, connected devices, and telehealth platforms can quickly overwhelm Wi-Fi capacity.
Here’s what we see most often:
- Signal gaps in thick walls or equipment-intensive wings
- Limited bandwidth and network overload during peak hours, leading to slow speeds and dropped connections
- Unpredictable performance during critical workflows
- Security concerns in guest or shared access configurations
In healthcare, a dropped connection or lag in communication isn’t just frustrating—it can slow down care and become a life safety issue. Hospitals need infrastructure that’s built to support high bandwidth and reliability needs.
The Role of Private 5G and DAS in Healthcare
To meet the demands of connected care, hospitals are starting to layer in other technologies alongside Wi-Fi. Two of the most effective solutions are Private 5G and Commercial Cellular Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS).
Private 5G Networks
Private 5G provides a secure, dedicated wireless layer that can be tailored to clinical operations, automation, and security needs.
For hospitals, this can mean:
- Guaranteed data throughput and low latency
- High device density support for IoMT and equipment tracking
- Full control over network access, data, and performance
- Enhanced security and segmentation by use case
Private 5G is ideal for newer facilities, smart campus rollouts, or anywhere advanced clinical or operational tech is being deployed at scale.
Commercial Cellular DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems)
DAS improves cellular signal strength throughout a facility and helps meet coverage and code requirements.
It’s particularly critical for:
- Ensuring strong mobile service across your facility, including in stairwells, basements, and other hard-to-reach areas
- Meeting local requirements for emergency responder systems
- Supporting reliable cell service for patients, staff, and visitors
DAS is typically part of new construction and major renovations, although retrofits are not uncommon, and can be integrated with fiber backbones and Wi-Fi for a robust hybrid network.
What to Do Now: Start Planning Ahead of 2026
If your organization is planning a major facility upgrade or expansion, wireless strategy needs to be part of the conversation now—not after construction is underway.
Here are a few ways to get ahead:
- Involve Wireless Early: Integrate wireless into the earliest design plans, just like power or plumbing. Early planning cuts costs, improves coverage, and avoids rework later.
- Build a Hybrid Network Strategy: Wi-Fi alone can’t support every use case in a modern hospital. Plan for a mix of Wi-Fi, DAS, and Private 5G to meet different use cases across the hospital—clinical, operational, public safety, and guest access.
- Future-Proof with Flexible Technologies: Choose platforms that can evolve. Private 5G networks on CBRS spectrum can scale with device counts and security needs. Modular DAS systems can expand with facility growth. These investments should align with long-term digital transformation goals.
- Plan for Visibility and Control: Continuous monitoring and performance analytics ensure that your network works beyond Day 1. Systems like Occulor, RK Squared’s network monitoring tool, give IT teams insight into how systems are performing—and where support may be needed.
RK Squared: Your Partner in Healthcare Connectivity
At RK Squared, we specialize in designing, building, and maintaining in-building wireless infrastructure for complex environments like hospitals and healthcare campuses. Our healthcare clients benefit from:
- End-to-end strategy: from design and permitting to deployment
- Neutral host DAS and Private 5G design tailored to the facility’s footprint and goals
- Ongoing performance monitoring with Occulor
- Vendor-agnostic solutions built to scale with future needs
Whether you are bringing a new hospital wing online or rethinking network infrastructure hospital-wide, RK Squared helps you plan and build with confidence.
Ready to plan a hospital network that works everywhere it matters?
RK Squared partners with healthcare systems to design, build, and maintain wireless infrastructure that supports clinical workflows, patient safety, and future growth. Contact us to get started.
