| Location | Belgium – Flanders: Westhoek region |
| Sectors | Healthcare Education |
| Network type | 5G Mobile Private Network |
| Project start - end date (duration) | 1 January 2023 ‑ 31 December 2025 (36 months) |
| Total budget | €5.5 million |
| EU contribution | €4.1 million |
| Lead entity / organisations | e‑BO Enterprises: Mobile Network Operator (MNO) |
| Beneficiaries and partners | Jan Yperman Hospital Provincial Development Agency of West Flanders |
By providing 5G coverage for most of the Westhoek rural region, this project will also serve as a catalyst for its development and digital transformation.
What will it provide?
The Flanders Smart Fields project will allow the implementation of important and innovative improvements in the provision of healthcare and emergency services in the region, as well as enabling greater inclusion and educational opportunities for children with long-term illnesses.
How will it work?
By enabling ultra‑reliable low‑latency communications (uRLLC) through a stable 5G private network for the whole region, with support for Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and sufficient bandwidth for data, voice and video communications, the project will allow two important use cases to be developed in the region.
Firstly, the Jan Yperman Hospital will be able to:
- Provide remote assistance in connected emergency response vehicles, including allowing a higher quality of pre‑hospitalisation, which is critical for better outcomes including lower mortality and decreased chances of permanent damage;
- Deploy drones for the transport of blood samples.
Secondly, more children with long-term illnesses will be able to participate remotely in classes from their homes, in real time, using the BedNet application.
In addition, the project will also drive the improvement of remote healthcare services, including:
- Home‑based m-health and e-health services;
- Faster and better emergency responses;
- Quality of life enhancing support for long‑term patients or palliative patients;
- Broader access to medical specialists;
- Optimised access to consultations.
How will it be built?
The project will licence MNO spectrum and deploy a private mobile network across the region, through six radio locations.
To enable secure, high availability and real-time processing, the network will employ edge cloud services.
How is it financed?
The Flanders Smart Fields project has a total budget of €5.5 million, of which €4.1 million under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme. With regard to long-term financing, the project expects to expand the use cases, in particular regarding providing services to local government as well as the Police and Fire Departments.
Who is involved?
The Flanders Smart Fields project is run by a multidisciplinary consortium, including:
- e‑BO Enterprises: Mobile Network Operator (MNO)
- Jan Yperman Hospital: offering the Services of General Interest (SGI)
- Provincial Development Agency West Flanders: partner
How can I find out more about the project?
The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)
Contact HaDEA
Read more:
- Presentation
- Flanders Smart Fields webpage (on the website of the Provincial Development Agency of West Flanders)
Related websites and social media: