According to a recent ABI report, the U.S. stimulus bill, or American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains "potential goldmines" worth up to $6.8 billion for wireless equipment vendors, infrastructure providers and wireless service providers. According to ABI, healthcare is one of the key verticals that will benefit from ARRA's spending on wireless. 

"The ARRA represents a windfall for wireless service providers as well as for satellite service providers," ABI VP Stan Schatt said in a statement. "It will have an enormous impact on Wi-Fi and wireless broadband vendors. It will also immediately benefit a number of specific vertical industries including healthcare, education, homeland security, the environment, and the nation's electricity infrastructure."

The analyst firm writes that "in healthcare, the scope for adding wireless to the technology mix encompasses WiFi-enabled mobile devices and sensors, communications systems linking health networks, telepresence, wireless LAN equipment, and WiFi-enabled video surveillance systems."

ABI's press release is careful not to say whether any of these particular wireless health use cases may be mentioned in ARRA, but the firm seems to believe that the opportunities for getting funding for them through ARRA do exist if wireless carriers and equipment providers find the right partners.

For more, read ABI's press release about the report.