The third largest US mobile operator Sprint and Ideal Life, a Canadian vendor, have announced a new 3G-supported device they describe as “a cellular pod” that will enable users' chronic conditions and wellness to be managed remotely over the operator's 3G network. They launched the new device at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (January 10-13) in Las Vegas. Sprint says the new device will serve as a communications gateway between a patient and their healthcare provider. Once activated the pod automatically syncs with any of Ideal Life’s other wireless monitoring devices. Sprint enters a market enters a market where they will face existing competitors such as Qualcomm and Verizon Wireless.

Sprint and Ideal Life first announced plans to co-operate at the start of 2011 when they made a similar announcement at the HIMSS conference in February 2011 about wirelessly enabling one of the vendor’s devices. Their joint activities have also included the launch last autumn of wireless-enabled kiosks where patients can test themselves and then send the results to their doctors.

The move to make wireless connectivity ubiquitous in medical devices is turning into a competitive market. Just last month Qualcomm announced its own plans in this area at the mHealth Summit in Washington DC.  It launched its 2net Platform and Hub (the equivalent of Sprint/Ideal Life’s pod) at the event.