## 1 Introduction  
We live in an era witnessing unparalleled scientific and technological advancements in telecommunications, particularly in the development of wireless networking, leading to the emergence of solutions that transform social and professional interaction [1]. In the healthcare sector, wireless body area networks (WBANs) have emerged as an innovative solution for remote patient monitoring [2]. These networks use low-energy devices capable of wireless communication [3]. In general, these devices include sensors, actuators, and microcontrollers, positioned around or inside the human body, to monitor, collect, and transmit specific data, such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, body temperature [3, 4], blood pressure/24-h monitoring, and Holter. These data, along with clinical analysis (including blood tests) results, cardiac monitoring data/ECG, ultrasound outcomes, EEG, clinical imaging, or sleep apnea monitoring tests, among other ones, are then processed and diagnosed by healthcare professionals. This technological advancement, together with advanced telemonitoring of at-risk patients, is important because it allows healthcare professionals to monitor patients' health status in real-time, thereby improving the provision of high-quality care [5]. Simultaneously, the increasing average life expectancy of human beings has led to a higher demand for hospital services, putting greater pressure on underlying human and financial resources. Many hospitalized patients present complex conditions, requiring constant monitoring to prevent serious health episodes. Studies show that warning signs, such as changes in heart rate and respiratory rate, can appear six to eight hours before critical events, such as cardiorespiratory arrests, being observed in 60% to 85% of cases. The early detection of these signs is essential to prevent worsening of the patient's health condition and save lives. Although current monitoring systems allow for the tracking of vital parameters in real-time, their effectiveness depends on the constant presence of healthcare professionals, which is often unfeasible due to the shortage of human resources. To overcome this challenge, the Cova da Beira University Hospital Center (CHUCB), through the Tele-monitoring of at-Risk Patients (TERI) project, implemented a telemonitoring system that combines preventive, continuous, and retrospective monitoring, optimizing available resources and ensuring faster and more effective responses. However, for the efficient operation of these technological solutions, a robust communication infrastructure is vital. The effectiveness of WBANs and system setups, like the ones from TERI, depends on reliable cellular coverage capable of ensuring the continuous and secure transmission of patient data. Despite advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their applications to healthcare, many hospitals still face significant challenges in ensuring suitable cellular and wireless local area networking coverage [6]. As demonstrated by [PERSON] et al. [7], hospitals require minimum QoS thresholds that are not universally met due to the impact of buildings structural aspects in the signal propagation. Our study advances this field by empirically evaluating these metrics across multiple technologies (LTE, 5G NR, NB-IoT), complementing previous theoretical approaches. Previous studies indicate that the complexity of hospital structures and environmental interferences can compromise signal quality, leading to communication failures. These coverage gaps not only hinder the effective operation of WBANs but can also directly affect patient safety and well-being, especially in critical areas such as intensive care units and emergency rooms, since in the healthcare sector, data needs to be as complete as possible.