3GPP has introduced the RedCap feature set to enable user equipment (UE) with reduced complexity and power requirements, targeting IoT and industrial applications that do not need the full capabilities of traditional 5G devices. RedCap represents a new class of 5G-only technology designed to unlock new use cases in high-density, cost-sensitive, and space-constrained environments.
The purpose of this whitepaper is to provide an industrial perspective on RedCap and help stakeholders understand its relevance, implementation considerations, and potential impact. By reducing device and network complexity and costs, RedCap makes 5G more accessible for massive IoT deployments, supporting innovation in smart factories and other industrial environments.
RedCap represents a strategic evolution of 5G, specifically addressing the need for simpler, smaller, and more energy-efficient devices. It closes the capability gap between high-end 5G NR devices and LPWAN technologies like NB-IoT and LTE-M.
RedCap’s reduced complexity enables new categories of industrial devices—such as compact wearables, battery-operated wireless sensors, and mobile trackers—to reliably connect over 5G networks. By providing an affordable pathway to 5G adoption, RedCap supports industrial digitalization, process optimization, and safety applications.
The vision is that RedCap will accelerate widespread deployment of 5G in industrial IoT. Enhancements in 3GPP Release 18 and beyond, including even simpler eRedCap devices and future wake-up receiver features, will further extend battery life and lower costs. Over time, RedCap is expected to evolve into a foundation for scalable, efficient 5G-powered industrial systems.
The whitepaper reviews RedCap’s core features, architecture, and use cases. It compares RedCap with other technologies like NB-IoT, LTE-M, LTE, and NR, illustrating where RedCap fits in the industrial connectivity landscape. Key findings highlight RedCap’s ability to reduce device complexity by up to 70% while delivering sufficient data rates for most industrial IoT scenarios.
Future developments will include eRedCap devices with even lower peak data rates and complexity in 3GPP Release 18, as well as support for wake-up receivers in 3GPP Release 19 to further optimize energy efficiency. While RedCap offers many benefits, challenges remain—particularly around scaling networks to handle large numbers of RedCap devices and ensuring coexistence with full-capability 5G devices. Ongoing research, standardization, and cross-industry collaboration will be essential to realizing RedCap’s full potential and evolving the industrial IoT ecosystem.
Do you want to learn more about this future-oriented topic? Please download or share the 5G-ACIA white paper as a PDF file.
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