3GPP R17 was finally frozen last week. As part of it, the specification of 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) New Radio is introduced, which may open up the new opportunities for "middle-range" IoT, targeting reduced capability use cases for industrial, wearables.
As we all know, NB-IoT is the light-weight LTE network for IoT applications. In this way, RedCap can be also seen as the simplified 5G NR.
In some cases, the network capacity of eMBB, uRLLC and mMTC can not totally meet the requirements. For example, in 5G smart manufacturing, controlling robots requires wide bandwidth and low latency, while CCTVs in the factory do not. This is the reason why RedCap can complement the space among three major 5G application scenarios.
· Interconnection with 5GC
· Support a wide range of spectrum
· Lower power consumption
· Reduce the complexity of equipment to lower the CAPEX
It can be also redefined with 5G network slicing, uRLLC, enhanced coverage related technologies, adapting to diversified middle ground IoT applications, to meet the needs of various industries such as smart city, manufacturing etc.
Looking forward to an intelligent IoT world!
