. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Mar 18.

Published in final edited form as: IEEE Internet Things J. 2019 Oct 9;7(1):53–71. doi: 10.1109/jiot.2019.2946359

TABLE III.

A comparison of two commonly used communication protocols for WBAN implementation, along with with their advantages and disadvantages within the context of smart healthcare.

Protocol/Characteristics	Advantages/Disadvantages	Example Applications
BLE / 2.4 GHz ISM 2 Mbps ≤100 m Low-Energy	✓ Ubiquitous ✓ Low-Power ✓ Low-Delay X Single-Hop X No Multicasting X MAC Inflexibility	EEG [160] IMU [155] PPG [154] EEG [161] EMG [162]

ZigBee / 2.4 GHz ISM ≤250 kbps ≤100 m	✓ Multi-Hop ✓ 6LoWPAN Compatibility ✓ Self-Healing ✓ Multicasting X Static Power Management X Rerouting Delay X Crowded 2.4 GHz Band X Poor Coexistence with WiFi	EEG [160] ECG [160] PPG [163] IMU [164]