Introduction to RedCap Technology-Lightweight 5G opens up the "middle market" of the IOT

Introduction to RedCap Technology
Lightweight 5G opens up the "middle market" of the Internet of Things

RedCap (Reduced Capability) is a 5G technology defined by the 3GPP standardization organization, also known as lightweight 5G. On the premise of ensuring application requirements and performance, the capability of the equipment is reduced by reducing the bandwidth, the number of transmitting and receiving antennas, reducing the rate, adjusting the modulation method, introducing a half-duplex mode, etc., reducing the complexity of the terminal equipment, and thereby reducing terminal costs, A series of purposes such as power consumption and extended service life are more conducive to large-scale commercial applications in 5G commercial networks.

RedCap is a technology mainly defined to meet the specific needs of terminals in mid-range IoT application scenarios such as industrial wireless sensors, video surveillance and wearable devices. This technology complements the high-speed business carrying capacity of the 5G network, making the 5G network oriented Various IoT application requirements have formed a high, medium and low-level multi-level bearer system to meet the application requirements of the IoT industry for medium-speed and large connection capabilities.

As a landmark technology in the evolution of 5G, lightweight 5G (RedCap) has attracted much attention since its inception. In October 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently issued a notice on promoting the evolution and innovative development of 5G lightweight (RedCap) technology, proposing to build a complete 5G lightweight industrial system by 2025, achieve the continuous emergence of new products and models, integrate application scales, and enhance security capabilities simultaneously. This not only sounded the horn for the commercial scale of 5G lightweight (RedCap) technology, but also will accelerate the digital process of new infrastructure construction, traditional industry transformation and upgrading, and deep integration of digital economy and real economy.

5G RedCap: Simplify complexity and make 5G "lighter"

5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) is a new technology standard protocol launched by 3GPP in the 5G R17 phase, aimed at meeting the needs of medium to constant rate IoT scenarios by reducing the capacity and cost of 5G. Therefore, it is also known as the "lightweight, simplified version of 5G".

Compared to traditional 5G terminals, RedCap reduces terminal complexity and cost by about 50% to 65% by reducing terminal bandwidth, number of transmitting and receiving antennas, and modulation order. For applications in the IoT industry that do not require extremely high transmission rates, 5G RedCap undoubtedly holds a crucial position.

5G RedCap: Completing the "5G Blank Space"

Before the emergence of RedCap, 5G defined three major application scenarios: Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), High Reliable Low Delay Communication (uRLLC), and Massive Internet of Things Communication (mMTC) to meet the IoT application needs of users at high rates, low latency, and low rates. However, IoT applications with moderate speed and latency requirements have not yet been covered, and the emergence of RedCap technology has filled the gap.

As part of the evolution of 5G, RedCap can be smoothly introduced into the existing 5G network through software upgrades. At the same time, it inherits various excellent features such as 5G NR low latency, high reliability, data not leaving the factory, low power consumption, strong coverage, etc. It can be introduced as needed for different application scenarios, effectively meeting business needs. RedCap technology is like a key that can unlock the vast "mid-range" IoT market space between eMBB and NB IoT.

Focusing on industrial, video, wearable devices, and power scenarios

The advantage of lightweight 5G lies in its ability to support a wider range of application scenarios, including smart cities, intelligent transportation, industrial automation, etc. Lightweight devices are easier to deploy in various environments, including indoor, outdoor, mobile vehicles, etc., providing users with faster and more reliable network connections. Meanwhile, lightweight 5G networks can also reduce network construction and maintenance costs, improve network efficiency and sustainability.

Typical application scenarios:

Operators accelerate the RedCap process

To accelerate the maturity of the 5G RedCap industry, major operators are exploring the integration of innovative applications and accelerating the deployment of innovative applications:

Since 2021, China Telecom has been continuously exploring the application scenarios of RedCap. In 2023, it conducted a "RedCap City" pilot in Shenzhen and simultaneously launched scenario validation in 15 industry pilot units nationwide. Currently, China Telecom has connected with more than 50 RedCap industry terminals and validated over 20 industry application scenarios.

China Mobile has partnered with more than ten industry chain partners to launch the RedCap "1+5+5" innovation demonstration city for 5G lightweight technology, providing a technology testing and application demonstration platform for the upstream and downstream of the industry chain. At the same time, chip manufacturers, module manufacturers, and terminal enterprises have also made efforts to actively promote end-to-end testing, technical validation, and product and solution research and development of RedCap.

China Unicom has launched a 100 station connectivity test, and has also launched network tests for multiple provincial and municipal branches to carry out technical validation of RedCap functions, performance, network optimization, and end-to-end collaboration covering all frequency bands and related businesses.

Focusing on 5G RedCap, Promoting 5G Empowerment in Various Industries

As a deep participant in the Internet of Things industry, zxnetcom constantly monitors market trends and leverages its professional research and development capabilities to continuously update and upgrade its products. Currently, zxnetcom 5G routers not only integrate 5G SA/NSA, 5GLAN, network slicing and other technologies, but also support 5G RedCap. Significantly reducing the threshold for enterprises to deploy 5G and helping 5G achieve large-scale application development.

1. 3GPP R17 standard: 5G LAN, 5G RedCap;

2. 5G high-speed all network connectivity: 5G cellular access, supporting SA and NSA networking, fully compatible with the 5G networks of the four major operators;

3. Ultra strong WiFi coverage capability: independent WiFi chip, supporting high-speed WIFI access, up to 600Mbps network, stable signal, and superior performance;

4. Support rich industrial protocols: embedded with various protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, ICMP, etc., providing secure tunnels for data flow; Support secondary development, achieve local data storage and processing, solve the problems of diversified industrial equipment, diverse communication protocols, and difficult industrial data collection;

5. Support for cloud management: Supports adaptation and access to various cloud platforms, including Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Power Cloud, etc., and can be customized according to user needs to meet different business scenarios and needs.

6. Industrial standard: Supports wide temperature design from -35 ℃ to+70 ℃, IP40 protection, power supply anti reverse connection and other hardware protection, suitable for stable operation in harsh environments;

7. VPN is rich and diverse: OpenVPN/PPTP/L2TP/IPSEC;