Healthcare providers rapidly adopting Verizon Neutral Host and Private 5G combo networks

Rhea-AI Summary

Verizon (VZ) says healthcare providers including AdventHealth and Tampa General Hospital have signed deals for on‑premises Neutral Host or combined Neutral Host + Private 5G networks to address rising data, device density, and varied user needs on campus. Ericsson is the platform provider. The Neutral Host improves public cellular coverage for patients and visitors while Private 5G offers dedicated, low‑latency bandwidth and security for mission‑critical workflows and future pilots. Verizon highlights deployable latent private cores and cites deployments showcased at HLTH USA 2025.

Insights

Enterprise Networks Expert

Verizon won on‑premises Neutral Host and Private 5G contracts with named hospitals, signalling commercial traction in healthcare campus networking.

Verizon secured onsite networking deals with AdventHealth and Tampa General Hospital plus others for a combined Neutral Host and Private 5G approach that separates public connectivity from mission‑critical private services. The offering pairs strengthened public cellular coverage for patients and visitors with a latent or active private 5G core for operations, asset tracking, and clinical applications, and Ericsson is the platform provider for the builds.

Dependencies and risks include successful on‑site deployment, integration with hospital clinical and IT systems, and the timing of private core activation; Tampa General explicitly plans to turn on its latent private core when needed. Watch for deployment milestones announced at or after Oct 19-22, 2025, proofs of performance showing reliable low‑latency/secure private connectivity, and any published operational metrics or contract scope changes within the next 6–18 months.

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

What you need to know:

• Healthcare providers including AdventHealth and Tampa General Hospital, among others, signed deals with Verizon Business for Neutral Host or combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Networks
• Healthcare CIOs are increasingly turning to Neutral Host and Private 5G Networks to cover ballooning data needs, growing device density, and diversifying user groups, covering both public-network and private 5G use cases
• Learn more at the Verizon Business booth (#2332) at HLTH USA 2025 Oct 19-22 in Las Vegas
  
  

What’s the news?
Healthcare CIOs and business decision makers are facing a surge of operational complexity at their facilities. The growth of electronic patient records, specialized connected equipment, and telehealth has led to an explosion of healthcare data, which can create bottlenecks that slow down clinicians and administrators if not met with appropriate networking capability.

Simultaneously, healthcare campuses are evolving to accommodate multiple network user groups with varied needs -- for example, patients and visitors requiring reliable connectivity while on site, staff conducting increasingly digitalized operational work, and care providers and technical experts using specialized equipment with heightened security and bandwidth requirements.

To meet these challenges head-on, a wave of healthcare organizations have turned to Verizon Business’ combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Networks to help manage increasingly complex data needs for varied user groups at their facilities -- Neutral Host for patients, visitors, and other public-network users and Private 5G for mission critical operations. This year Verizon Business has executed on-premises wireless networking deals with top providers AdventHealth, Tampa General Hospital, and several others.

Why now?
As healthcare campuses become increasingly data-intensive, device-dense and technology-rich, the networking power and versatility of a combination Verizon Neutral Host and Private 5G Network is a natural fit. The unique network combination helps cover evolving connectivity needs for diverse device sets, user groups, and data capabilities, including:

• Devices - Connected hospital equipment for care provision; administrative/office equipment for operations; and personal devices for general use
• User Groups - Doctors, nurses, and care providers; executives, administrators, and technical/research experts; patients, visitors, and staff onsite
• Capabilities - growing density of connected devices; varying security, bandwidth, and capability requirements for diverse user groups; flexible connectivity for business continuity and future-proofing for facility expansions and transformations.
  
  

In short, healthcare environments are ideal settings for flexible, onsite data networks. They must accommodate hundreds if not thousands of devices at a time, serve users of varying data requirements, and accommodate technologies that serve public, private, and highly specialized application sets, both for day-to-day operations and future-facing initiatives.

How does it work?
The Verizon Neutral Host Network component allows the general public to automatically achieve a strengthened mobile signal on a specific premises via dedicated network infrastructure onsite. Receiving that strengthened signal requires no special action on the part of the visitor; the campus becomes just like any public setting with ideal cellular reception. That means patients, guests, and onsite staff get reliable, ubiquitous cellular connectivity without any headaches.

In parallel, to support critical care-delivery services and sensitive data workflows for the hospital, facilities can deploy secure, high-bandwidth/low-latency Private 5G Networks side-by-side with those Neutral Host Networks. In addition to enabling data-intensive, mission critical hospital operations, the private networks also serve as a platform for future-tech readiness and innovation, allowing the hospital administration to pilot new applications and incorporate new connected devices and technology.

Dedicated bandwidth and private network infrastructure also mean facilities can support lots of devices at once -- specialized or common -- with enhanced security and sky-high capacity. Facilities can even start with a Verizon Neutral Host Network that has a latent private 5G core pre-installed, turning it on once imminent needs materialize for the high-performance, enhanced-security capabilities of private networking.

Ericsson is the platform provider to Verizon for the on-premises network buildouts.

What does it look like in practice?

Building AdventHealth’s hospital of the future

• Challenge: AdventHealth is developing a cutting-edge “hospital of the future” that rearchitects the healthcare visit as a more comfortable and enjoyable experience, with an amphitheater, restaurants, retail and cutting-edge technology. But the IT infrastructure they have used in the past wasn’t going to be enough to meet their ambitions.
• Solution: Verizon Business’ combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Network offered a streamlined infrastructure with flexible coverage capabilities to support AdventHealth’s dynamic and innovative vision. The Neutral Host Network provides coverage for comfort and entertainment applications, while the Private 5G Network covers operational needs, including smart hospital beds, real-time location services, wayfinding, asset tracking, and capacity for a multitude of connected devices and other applications. The network combination allows AdventHealth to invest in new surgical and hospital technologies with confidence that its IT infrastructure can support.

Improving connectivity at Tampa General

• Challenge: Tampa General faced a digital crossroads. They had just deployed a new electronic medical records system and needed networking support for the construction of a new tower, but they were relying on an outdated Distributed Antenna System (DAS) for connectivity. The outdated system was unreliable, and caused disruptions for executives, staff, and visitors.
• Solution: Verizon’s Neutral Host Network now provides a seamless wireless infrastructure for the main hospital’s staff and visitors, and includes a latent Private 5G Network core they can turn on later to support the medical, academic, and research initiatives planned for a new tower.
  
  

What the insiders are saying:

“Verizon pioneered an innovative and resourceful approach to enterprise networking with their Neutral Host and Private 5G combo solution, which efficiently covers nearly any premises that requires both public and private data needs. Hospitals are a prime example, with different populations to serve, a plethora of devices to connect, unique front-of-house and back-of-house data sovereignty requirements. It's a rare example of true solution leadership that fills an immediate need and has the flexibility to evolve,” said Paul Hughes, Research Director, IDC.

“Our patients’ experience onsite and the integrity of their data are of utmost importance, which made it a no-brainer to switch to Verizon’s combination Neutral Host and Private 5G Network,” said Scott Arnold, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Tampa General Hospital. “Our connectivity is much more responsive and reliable, allowing us to get the information we need when we need it. As a result, our operations run more smoothly, and most importantly, the care we deliver is better than ever.”

“As digital adoption continues to increase in the healthcare sector, providers require scalable network solutions with access across multiple sites and use cases,” said Jennifer Artley, SVP of 5G Acceleration, Verizon Business. “Verizon’s network helps patients, guests, and hospital staff maintain connectivity, operations, and, most importantly, top-notch care, without any headaches or extra steps.”

“Healthcare is undergoing rapid digital transformation, and advanced networks are essential to this evolution,” said Hannes Ekström, Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Verizon for Ericsson Americas. “Together with Verizon, we’re enabling AI-driven innovations that help hospital staff enhance patient care, streamline operations, and future-proof healthcare facilities with high-performance 5G.”

For more information on Verizon’s healthcare solutions, visit the healthcare solutions page at verizon.com/business.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/news. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.

Media contact:
Matt Conte
matthew.conte@verizon.com

Erin Cheever
erin.cheever@verizon.com

FAQ

Which healthcare providers signed Verizon Neutral Host or Private 5G deals announced Oct 21, 2025 for VZ?

Verizon named AdventHealth and Tampa General Hospital among healthcare providers that signed on for Neutral Host or combined Neutral Host and Private 5G networks.

How does Verizon’s Neutral Host + Private 5G combo benefit Tampa General Hospital under the VZ announcement?

The Neutral Host now provides seamless staff and visitor coverage while a latent Private 5G core can be activated later to support planned medical, academic, and research initiatives.

What role does Ericsson play in Verizon’s healthcare on‑premises networks mentioned on Oct 21, 2025?

Ericsson is the platform provider for Verizon’s on‑premises network buildouts supporting Neutral Host and Private 5G deployments.

What specific operational uses did Verizon cite for Private 5G in AdventHealth’s project in the VZ release?

Verizon cited smart hospital beds, real‑time location services, wayfinding, asset tracking, and support for many connected devices as Private 5G uses.

Does Verizon (VZ) require visitors or patients to take special steps to use Neutral Host coverage?

No; Neutral Host coverage strengthens the mobile signal onsite automatically, so visitors and patients get improved cellular reception without extra action.

Where was Verizon showcasing its Neutral Host and Private 5G healthcare solutions in October 2025?

Verizon highlighted these solutions at HLTH USA 2025 in Las Vegas, with details available at its booth and healthcare solutions web page.