Marketing the 5G Ecosystem Readiness as a Game-Changer for the Healthcare Industry: Transforming Ideas into Reality

In Malaysia, 5G adoption by the healthcare industry is gaining momentum in tandem with the health needs of the public and demand by the market. The current paper investigated 5G product development, the role of service marketing strategies, and the extent of 5G ecosystem readiness based on the views of senior managers in the healthcare industry. Face-to-face qualitative interviews and focus group discussions involving 27 respondents from 24 healthcare companies were conducted from July to December 2022. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis which yielded three major themes: (1) 5G as a Technology driver, (2) 5G improves accessibility and (3) 5G cost of services. Findings show that 5G is a necessity for progress in the healthcare industry and its expedited deployment in Malaysia is important for seamless adaptation to future data-sharing platforms and international collaboration. 5G technology also supported hospitals’ growth and expansion, boost the digital skills of the healthcare industry workforce, help to design better patient workflows and enabled virtual appointment systems at a quicker speed. These factors were found to be useful as service marketing gain points to the right target customers. The study found a gap in multinational companies in the healthcare industry offering technological solutions with little adaptation to the Malaysian market. This contrasts with the culture of the domestic healthcare industry which regards reliability as an essential factor in service marketing. In sum, 5G readiness is evident in a majority of medical device manufacturers and telehealth consultation companies in Malaysia.