Operators in 15 countries already investing in RedCap: GSMA

Asia Pacific is leading in trials and deployments of RedCap, according to the GSMA

As of the end of June, operators in 15 countries were already investing in Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology through trials and deployments, according to Richard Cockle, the head of the GSMA Innovation Foundry, told RCR Wireless News.

The executive said that scaling RedCap developments will take time, adding that these initial trials and deployments focus on various use cases such as video surveillance, 5G FWA, smart wearables and industrial sensors.

“Asia Pacific is leading in trials and deployments, with about half of the 15 countries located in this region. Only three countries — China, the U.S. and Kuwait — have deployed the technology, with China at the forefront. All three of China’s largest operators have already deployed RedCap for customers,” Cockle said.

The executive also highlighted that 5G RedCap is designed to bridge the gap between traditional 5G and IoT, targeting application scenarios that demand moderate data rates, low power consumption and cost efficiency, while leveraging native 5G features like network slicing.

When asked about which specific industries are expected to benefit the most from the implementation of 5G RedCap technology, Cockle said that this technology offers new solutions for smart grid, smart city and smart manufacturing and shows great potential in the consumer electronics domain, including wearable devices, smart home and smart healthcare.

“The construction of smart cities is a cornerstone of modern urban development, with 5G RedCap playing a pivotal role. By connecting diverse smart devices and sensors, 5G RedCap enables real-time monitoring and management of transportation, environment, energy and more. In smart manufacturing, 5G RedCap is revolutionary. It addresses challenges in efficiency, cost control and intelligent transformation by providing stable, efficient connectivity for real-time data transmission and remote equipment control. This significantly boosts production efficiency and reduces downtime,” he said.

He went on to say that 5G RedCap also supports large-scale machine-to-machine communication and IoT applications, enhancing the automation level and intelligence of factories.

According to Cockle, RedCap will evolve as part of 5G-Advanced to further strengthen support for cost-efficient devices and/or power-sensitive applications. In recent months, several operators — including AT&T, BT Group, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Optus, SK Telecom and Verizon — have been exploring the capabilities of 5G RedCap in collaboration with leading equipment suppliers.

Commenting on how does 5G RedCap aim to balance reduced device complexity with the need for reliable connectivity and performance, Cockle said that 5G RedCap devices feature a simplified architecture compared to full-fledged 5G devices. “They have a reduced number, with a maximum of two receive antenna branches, support only one transmit antenna branch and offer lower maximum bandwidths. Additionally, they do not support carrier aggregation or dual connectivity. These simplifications significantly reduce device complexity and cost while still providing adequate performance for many IoT use cases,” he continued.

Regarding what are the primary security considerations and potential vulnerabilities associated with 5G RedCap technology, Cockle highlighted thatone of the primary concerns with 5G RedCap technology is ensuring robust data security and privacy protection in a hyper-connected environment, which inherently provides more entry points for attacks and increases the risk of DDoS attacks, which can disrupt critical services. “The security threat landscape across telecommunications and the broader technology industry continues to evolve rapidly, making security threats a constant in the digital world. As with all wireless networks, without proper safeguards, 5G RedCap may be susceptible to hacking attacks or data breaches,” he said.

To mitigate these risks, RedCap networks must employ advanced encryption protocols to safeguard data transmitted over the network, protecting it from unauthorized access, the executive said. “Additionally, securing APIs through robust authentication and access controls is essential to protect sensitive network functions and data. Work that the GSMA is doing through our IoT and eSIM security assurance and certification schemes can support this, as can our GSMA Open Gateway initiative when it comes to APIs.”