Review of 5G Wireless Cellular Network on Covid-19 Pandemic: Digital Healthcare & Challenges

Abstract

Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began in 2020, it has changed the way people live such as social life and healthcare. One of the simplest ways to avoid wide spread of the virus is to minimize physical contact and avoid going to a crowded place. Besides that, it also has prompted countries across the world to employ digital technologies such as wireless communication systems to combat this global crisis. Digital healthcare is one of the solutions that play a crucial role to support the healthcare sector in order to prevent and minimize physical contact through telehealth and telemedicine such as monitoring, diagnosis and patient care. 5G network has the potential to advance digital healthcare along with its key technology such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communication (URLLC), and massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC). Despite the benefits of digital healthcare by leveraging the 5G technology, there are still challenges to be overcome such as privacy protection issues, 5G deployment and limited connectivity. In this review, it highlights the relevance and challenges of 5G wireless cellular networks for digital healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides potential solutions and future research areas for researchers on 5G to reduce COVID-19 related health risks.