RedCap 5G NR = Reduced Capability 5G NR.
As per Ericsson, It’s estimated that the number of connected IoT devices will reach nearly 39 billion by 2029, a significant increase over the number of expected smartphones at 7.7 billion. To help support the expected IoT device expansion, 3GPP introduced RedCap 5G NR, a significant addition to the 5G family.
RedCap technology was standardized in the 3GPP Release 17 and enables IoT devices, such as smartphones and modems, to utilize a subset of the capabilities of the 5G network to support applications that fall between the performance requirements of 5G and narrowband IoT (NB-IoT).
It outperforms 5G eMBB in battery life and component costs and could be a viable alternative to a pair of 4G-based IoT standards, including LTE Category 1 through 4 and NB-IoT.
MediaTek is one of those companies that leveraged RedCap 5G and in this figure, its roadmap for expected RedCap deployment in several countries.
