The practical implementation of 5G technology in the construction industry - an AI-assisted systematic literature review

Increasing project demands, implementation times, quality and sustainability meet the challenges of a shortage of skilled workers, low productivity and a low level of digitization in the construction industry. 5G technology represents a promising approach as a key technology to increase the performance of the industry. In order to be able to use the 5G technology effectively in practice, approaches and recommendations for action are needed for future users to make the introduction of the technology as efficient as possible. For this reason, this paper critically examines how the topic of the application of 5G technology in the construction industry is currently being investigated in the literature. Therefore, a novel AI-assisted systematic literature review methodology (ASCAPE), based on the rigor of conventional approaches, is introduced to raise the efficiency and quality of this process. The main result of this work shows that the current literature is focusing on isolated technology-heavy investigations. The readiness level regarding the Level of Development (LOD) of specific 5G technology use cases is at an unspecified stage. In addition to that, advice for the roll-out of the technology is provided roughly. In contrast to that, a macroscopic investigation of a theory-based approach from the field of innovation research has not yet been carried out. This research could bridge the gap between research and practice. In a critical analysis, this paper provides insights into research gaps in the current literature as a foundation for an approach to support the 5G roll-out at the company level.