Wireless Medical Telemetry Service Is Changing, Not Going Away

The Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS) was established in 1999 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect the use of licensed medical telemetry for physiological and fetal monitoring. The WMTS space has three frequency bands: 608-614 MHz (over-the-air [OTA] television channel 37), 1,395-1,400 MHz, and 1,427-1,432 MHz. This article addresses the recent FCC rule affecting the OTA channel 37 WMTS band. We also will address the potential impact on WMTS use in the hospital, the potential risks, and what hospitals need to do to mitigate those risks.