Using 5G in Smart Cities: A Systematic Mapping Study

TL;DR

This systematic mapping study reviews eight years of research on 5G deployment in smart cities, analyzing scenarios, architectures, technologies, challenges, and lessons learned to inform future research and practice.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of 5G applications in smart cities, highlighting key architectures, technologies, challenges, and research trends from 32 studies.

Findings

Transportation is the most discussed smart city scenario.

Radio access technologies, network slicing, and edge computing are key technologies.

Challenges include complex contexts and network development issues.

Abstract

5G is the fifth generation wireless network, with a set of characteristics, e.g., high bandwidth and data rates. The scenarios of using 5G include enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC), and ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (uRLLC). 5G is expected to support a wide variety of applications. We conducted a systematic mapping study that covers the literature published between Jan 2012 and Dec 2019 regarding using 5G in smart cities. The scenarios, architecture, technologies, challenges, and lessons learned of using 5G in smart cities are summarized and further analyzed based on 32 selected studies, and the results are that: (1) The studies are distributed over 27 publication venues. 17 studies report results based on academic studies and 13 studies use demonstration or toy examples. Only 2 studies report using 5G in smart cities based on industrial studies. 16 studies include assumptions of 5G network design or smart city scenarios. (2) The most discussed smart city scenario is transportation, followed by public safety, healthcare, city tourism, entertainment, and education. (3) 28 studies propose and/or discuss the architecture of 5G-enabled smart cities, containing smart city architecture (treating 5G as a component), 5G network architecture in smart cities, and business architecture of using 5G in smart cities. (4) The most mentioned 5G-related technologies are radio access technologies, network slicing, and edge computing. (5) Challenges are mainly about complex context, challenging requirements, and network development of using 5G in smart cities. (6) Most of the lessons learned identified are benefits regarding 5G itself or the proposed 5G-related methods in smart cities. This work provides a reflection of the past eight years of the state of the art on using 5G in smart cities, which can benefit both researchers and practitioners.