A group of large corporations is sponsoring a team of Cornell engineers to research the future of wireless communication. 

When people suffer from chronic or long-lasting diseases life hangs by a thread. Patients remain under constant monitoring and medical supervision while they slowly recover from illnesses like congestive heart failure (CHF), a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Traditionally, this monitoring confined sufferers to an uncomfortable hospital environment surrounded by other threatening diseases. But recent advances in wireless communication technology may soon allow for remote monitoring. Aside from improving patient comfort, “telehealth” may reduce healthcare costs. Telehealth is projected to be a $5 billion industry by 2010.