RedCap in 5G: A New Device Platform for Mid-Tier IoT Applications
5G is designed to serve a wide range of use cases and applications with a single global standard. However, there is a gap between the extremes of 5G capabilities and complexity, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) for high-speed data services, massive IoT (mIoT) for low-power wide-area (LPWA) deployments, and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) for mission-critical applications. To bridge this gap, 3GPP introduced a new device tier in Release 17, called reduced capability (RedCap) NR or NR-Light¹².
RedCap NR is an optimized design for mid-tier IoT applications that require moderate data rates, low latency, and long battery life. RedCap NR devices can support up to 150 Mbps in the downlink and 50 Mbps in the uplink, with narrower bandwidths, lower transmit power, lower-order modulation, and simpler antenna configurations than eMBB devices¹². These design choices result in more cost-efficient, power-efficient, and compact devices that can enable new use cases and designs.
Mid-tier IoT applications that can benefit from RedCap NR :
- Smart wearables: RedCap NR can enable more advanced features and functionalities for smart watches, fitness trackers, health monitors, and augmented reality glasses, such as high-quality video streaming, cloud gaming, biometric authentication, and remote health care¹³.
- Industrial IoT: RedCap NR can support various industrial IoT scenarios that require moderate data rates and low latency, such as smart metering, asset tracking, remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and factory automation¹⁴⁵.
- Automotive IoT: RedCap NR can enable enhanced vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication for improved safety, efficiency, and entertainment in connected cars, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), cooperative driving, infotainment services, and over-the-air (OTA) updates¹⁴⁵.
RedCap NR is an integral part of the 5G roadmap and evolution. It complements the existing 5G device tiers and expands the 5G device ecosystem. It also leverages the existing 5G network infrastructure and spectrum resources. By scaling down 5G NR, RedCap NR will usher in the next wave of 5G expansion and innovation¹.
RedCap NR is a native 5G technology that offers several advantages over 4G LTE for mid-tier IoT applications:
- Higher data rates: RedCap NR can support up to 150 Mbps in the downlink and 50 Mbps in the uplink, which is higher than LTE Cat-1bis (10 Mbps/5 Mbps) and comparable to LTE Cat-4 (150 Mbps/50 Mbps)
- Lower latency: RedCap NR can leverage the flexible numerology and frame structure of 5G NR to achieve lower latency than LTE, which is beneficial for applications that require real-time responsiveness
- Better network efficiency: RedCap NR can coexist with other 5G device tiers in the same spectrum and network infrastructure, without requiring additional network nodes or interfaces. This improves the network utilization and scalability
- Enhanced features: RedCap NR can support advanced 5G features such as beamforming, network slicing, edge computing, and millimeter wave bands, which can improve the performance, reliability, and security of IoT applications
Massive IoT (mIoT) and RedCap are two different device tiers in 5G that target different IoT use cases and requirements:
- Data rates: mIoT devices, such as narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and enhanced machine type communication (eMTC), support low data rates of up to 1 Mbps, while RedCap devices can support up to 150 Mbps in the downlink and 50 Mbps in the uplink
- Latency: mIoT devices can tolerate higher latency of up to several seconds, while RedCap devices can achieve lower latency of up to 10 ms, which is beneficial for real-time applications
- Complexity: mIoT devices have the lowest complexity and cost among 5G device tiers, while RedCap devices have moderate complexity and cost, which is lower than eMBB and URLLC devices
- Use cases: mIoT devices are suitable for low-power wide-area (LPWA) deployments that require massive connectivity, long battery life, and wide coverage, such as smart metering, asset tracking, and environmental monitoring. RedCap devices are suitable for mid-tier IoT applications that require moderate data rates, low latency, and long battery life, such as smart wearables, industrial IoT, and automotive IoT .
RedCap NR and eMBB are two different device tiers in 5G that target different performance and complexity levels:
- Data rates: eMBB devices can support gigabits per second of throughput in the downlink and uplink, while RedCap devices can support up to 150 Mbps in the downlink and 50 Mbps in the uplink
- Latency: eMBB devices can achieve sub-millisecond latency for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) applications, while RedCap devices can achieve up to 10 ms latency for mid-tier IoT applications .
- Complexity: eMBB devices have the highest complexity and cost among 5G device tiers, while RedCap devices have moderate complexity and cost, which is lower than eMBB and URLLC devices.
- Use cases: eMBB devices are suitable for high-speed data services that require high bandwidth, high reliability, and low latency, such as cloud gaming, virtual reality, and remote surgery. RedCap devices are suitable for mid-tier IoT applications that require moderate data rates, low latency, and long battery life, such as smart wearables, industrial IoT, and automotive IoT .
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