Healthcare providers rapidly adopting Verizon Neutral Host and Private 5G combo networks
What you need to know:
Healthcare providers including AdventHealth and Tampa General Hospital, among others, signed deals with Verizon Business for Neutral Host or combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Networks
Healthcare CIOs are increasingly turning to Neutral Host and Private 5G Networks to cover ballooning data needs, growing device density, and diversifying user groups, covering both public-network and private 5G use cases
Learn more at the Verizon Business booth (#2332) at HLTH USA 2025 Oct 19-22 in Las Vegas
What’s the news?
Healthcare CIOs and business decision makers are facing a surge of operational complexity at their facilities. The growth of electronic patient records, specialized connected equipment, and telehealth has led to an explosion of healthcare data, which can create bottlenecks that slow down clinicians and administrators if not met with appropriate networking capability.
Simultaneously, healthcare campuses are evolving to accommodate multiple network user groups with varied needs -- for example, patients and visitors requiring reliable connectivity while on site, staff conducting increasingly digitalized operational work, and care providers and technical experts using specialized equipment with heightened security and bandwidth requirements.
To meet these challenges head-on, a wave of healthcare organizations have turned to Verizon Business’ combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Networks to help manage increasingly complex data needs for varied user groups at their facilities -- Neutral Host for patients, visitors, and other public-network users and Private 5G for mission critical operations. This year Verizon Business has executed on-premises wireless networking deals with top providers AdventHealth, Tampa General Hospital, and several others.
Why now?
As healthcare campuses become increasingly data-intensive, device-dense and technology-rich, the networking power and versatility of a combination Verizon Neutral Host and Private 5G Network is a natural fit. The unique network combination helps cover evolving connectivity needs for diverse device sets, user groups, and data capabilities, including:
Devices - Connected hospital equipment for care provision; administrative/office equipment for operations; and personal devices for general use
User Groups - Doctors, nurses, and care providers; executives, administrators, and technical/research experts; patients, visitors, and staff onsite
Capabilities - growing density of connected devices; varying security, bandwidth, and capability requirements for diverse user groups; flexible connectivity for business continuity and future-proofing for facility expansions and transformations.
In short, healthcare environments are ideal settings for flexible, onsite data networks. They must accommodate hundreds if not thousands of devices at a time, serve users of varying data requirements, and accommodate technologies that serve public, private, and highly specialized application sets, both for day-to-day operations and future-facing initiatives.
How does it work?
The Verizon Neutral Host Network component allows the general public to automatically achieve a strengthened mobile signal on a specific premises via dedicated network infrastructure onsite. Receiving that strengthened signal requires no special action on the part of the visitor; the campus becomes just like any public setting with ideal cellular reception. That means patients, guests, and onsite staff get reliable, ubiquitous cellular connectivity without any headaches.
In parallel, to support critical care-delivery services and sensitive data workflows for the hospital, facilities can deploy secure, high-bandwidth/low-latency Private 5G Networks side-by-side with those Neutral Host Networks. In addition to enabling data-intensive, mission critical hospital operations, the private networks also serve as a platform for future-tech readiness and innovation, allowing the hospital administration to pilot new applications and incorporate new connected devices and technology.
Dedicated bandwidth and private network infrastructure also mean facilities can support lots of devices at once -- specialized or common -- with enhanced security and sky-high capacity. Facilities can even start with a Verizon Neutral Host Network that has a latent private 5G core pre-installed, turning it on once imminent needs materialize for the high-performance, enhanced-security capabilities of private networking.
Ericsson is the platform provider to Verizon for the on-premises network buildouts.
What does it look like in practice?
Building AdventHealth’s hospital of the future
Challenge: AdventHealth is developing a cutting-edge “hospital of the future” that rearchitects the healthcare visit as a more comfortable and enjoyable experience, with an amphitheater, restaurants, retail and cutting-edge technology. But the IT infrastructure they have used in the past wasn’t going to be enough to meet their ambitions.
Solution: Verizon Business’ combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Network offered a streamlined infrastructure with flexible coverage capabilities to support AdventHealth’s dynamic and innovative vision. The Neutral Host Network provides coverage for comfort and entertainment applications, while the Private 5G Network covers operational needs, including smart hospital beds, real-time location services, wayfinding, asset tracking, and capacity for a multitude of connected devices and other applications. The network combination allows AdventHealth to invest in new surgical and hospital technologies with confidence that its IT infrastructure can support.
Improving connectivity at Tampa General
Challenge: Tampa General faced a digital crossroads. They had just deployed a new electronic medical records system and needed networking support for the construction of a new tower, but they were relying on an outdated Distributed Antenna System (DAS) for connectivity. The outdated system was unreliable, and caused disruptions for executives, staff, and visitors.
Solution: Verizon’s Neutral Host Network now provides a seamless wireless infrastructure for the main hospital’s staff and visitors, and includes a latent Private 5G Network core they can turn on later to support the medical, academic, and research initiatives planned for a new tower.
What the insiders are saying:
"Verizon pioneered an innovative and resourceful approach to enterprise networking with their Neutral Host and Private 5G combo solution, which efficiently covers nearly any premises that requires both public and private data needs. Hospitals are a prime example, with different populations to serve, a plethora of devices to connect, unique front-of-house and back-of-house data sovereignty requirements. It's a rare example of true solution leadership that fills an immediate need and has the flexibility to evolve," said Paul Hughes, Research Director, IDC.
“Our patients’ experience onsite and the integrity of their data are of utmost importance, which made it a no-brainer to switch to Verizon’s combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Network,” said Scott Arnold, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Tampa General Hospital. “Our connectivity is much more responsive and reliable, allowing us to get the information we need when we need it. As a result, our operations run more smoothly, and most importantly, the care we deliver is better than ever.”
“As digital adoption continues to increase in the healthcare sector, providers require scalable network solutions with access across multiple sites and use cases,” said Jennifer Artley, SVP of 5G Acceleration, Verizon Business. “Verizon’s network helps patients, guests, and hospital staff maintain connectivity, operations, and, most importantly, top-notch care, without any headaches or extra steps.”
“Healthcare is undergoing rapid digital transformation, and advanced networks are essential to this evolution,” said Hannes Ekström, Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Verizon for Ericsson Americas. “Together with Verizon, we’re enabling AI-driven innovations that help hospital staff enhance patient care, streamline operations, and future-proof healthcare facilities with high-performance 5G.”
For more information on Verizon’s healthcare solutions, visit the healthcare solutions page at verizon.com/business.