India’s Journey Towards Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and IRSA
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The evolution from 4G LTE to 5G has been a defining leap in mobile connectivity. While 4G revolutionized the consumer internet by enabling fast broadband speeds for smartphones and video streaming, 5G was envisioned as a universal platform for both human and machine communication. It was created with the goal of supporting high-performance applications such as immersive XR experiences, connected autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation. In technical terms, the goal was to unlock gigabit-level throughput, ultra-low latency, and massive device density.
However in practice, not every connected device needs the full scale and complexity of 5G. Many IoT and industrial devices require moderate speeds, reliable coverage and long battery life at a lower cost. As the early phases of 5G deployment focused largely on smartphones and high-end use cases, there was a gap for these “mid-tier” devices that needed more than LTE but far less than premium 5G.
This is where 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) comes in. Introduced in 3GPP Release 17, RedCap is a streamlined version of 5G NR designed to extend the benefits of 5G. Capabilities such as native 5G core connectivity and lower latency had to trickle down to cost-sensitive, power-constrained devices like industrial sensors, wearables, and video surveillance systems.
5G Reduced Capability, or 5G NR-Light, is a new device platform that balances capability and complexity for mid-tier use cases. To emphasize its use case, a simple RedCap device can reduce complexity by more than half, while delivering expected data rates. In addition, clever radio resource management (RMM) can lower power consumption leading to a longer battery life. Given below is a simple comparison of full 5G NR capabilities and those of 5G RedCap.
| Feature | Full 5G NR | 5G RedCap |
| Typical bandwidth | Up to 100 MHz+ | ~20 MHz (FR1), 100 MHz (FR2) |
| MIMO antennas | 4×4 or higher | Usually 1×1 or 2×2 |
| Peak data rates | Gbps range | ~150–300 Mbps downlink |
| Latency | 1–4 ms (URLLC) | Few ms to tens of ms |
| Device complexity | High | Reduced (fewer RF chains, simpler modems) |
| Power consumption | High | Low |
| Target devices | Smartphones, XR | Wearables, cameras, industrial sensors |
Because RedCap devices share spectrum and radio resources with regular NR devices, the network must manage coexistence:
RedCap balances performance with simplicity by reducing bandwidth, MIMO layers and advanced features. This lowers cost and power consumption while still delivering sufficient data rates for most mid tier IoT and wearable use cases.
However, this comes with trade offs such as lower peak throughput, slightly higher latency than URLLC and the need for careful network optimization (especially in mmWave bands) to maintain efficiency and consistent service quality.
As discussed 5G RedCap is suited for devices needing more capabilities than LTE-M/NB-IoT, but don’t need the extreme throughput and ultra-low latency of full 5G eMBB or URLLC. It strikes a balance between data rate, complexity, power consumption and cost. This is what makes it a good fit for the next wave of IoT and edge applications across industries.
Factories require real time visibility into aspects like equipment, uptime, safety controls and predictive maintenance. Traditional wired systems are costly to scale and maintain.
RedCap offers a reliable uplink for sensor data, alarms and status updates. Additionally, it allows for better scalability in dynamic shop floor environments.
Utilities can use real time data to adjust for demand, detect outages and automating substations. It offers reliable mid bandwidth connectivity for grid sensors, smart meters and other control devices. It also supports wider coverage and easier deployment than wired links, while enabling remote management.
Wearable use cases such as child tracking, elder monitoring and remote worker safety can benefit from cellular connectivity, freeing them from smartphone requirement. Additionally, low complexity devices such as wearable benefit from the lower complexity and power requirements.
Legacy LTE struggles in dense environments with consistent video uplink. 5G RedCap removes the need for complex 5G modems, providing scalability and good throughput at lower costs. Subsequently, this makes it suitable for city surveillance, remote monitoring and transport hubs.
RedCap is still in its early stages. Its adoption will depend on various factors like operator readiness, device ecosystem maturity and how 5G is rolled out across regions. As 5G networks are widely deployed, the priority is still towards enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless access over massive IoT. Hence, this technology will likely see a phased and gradual rollout.
Most global operators currently run 5G in NSA mode, where 5G radios are anchored to 4G cores. This setup does not fully support RedCap’s efficiency gains, especially in power consumption and latency.
Transition to 5G Standalone cores will open doors for wider adoption of RedCap. It will unlock features such as
As SA matures, RedCap could become commercially viable for large scale IoT rollouts. In this environment, we will see mass market availability of modules, lower chipset costs and better interoperability.
Finally as more operators support full SA networks, RedCap could become cost competitive with LTE Cat-1/Cat-4 in sectors such as industrial automation, energy, smart cities and healthcare.
5G RedCap fills an important gap in the connectivity landscape. It offers a balance of bandwidth, power efficiency and low cost that is viable for massive IoT use cases. While its in early stages, it offers potential for large fleets of connected devices with multi year lifecycles.
As 5G Standalone (SA) networks mature and RedCap becomes more available, organizations will have a path beyond LTE that supports more scalable IoT deployments.
