The FCC has officially allocated bandwidth for wearable medical sensors, also known as medical body area networks, or MBANs, so confirming its earlier vote at the end of May.  The US is the first country in the world to set aside spectrum for this kind of service, according to the commission.

The commission has allocated radio frequencies in the 2360-2400 MHz band for MBANs with the 2360-2390 MHz range restricted to use indoors. The decision, which comes into effect on October 11, means wearable sensors can send and receive data without interference although they are designated as secondary users.

The aim of the new rules is to boost patient monitoring. Lobbying for the new spectrum was led by leading medical device vendors GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare.