introduction
Edcap UE, also known as reduced capability UE, is a 5G standard technology proposed by 3GPP in the Rel-17 version of the standard. When 3GPP first proposed this topic, NR Light (NR Lite) was also used. Simply put, Redcap UE technology is designed to meet specific application scenario requirements by reducing terminal air port capabilities, reducing complexity, and achieving requirements such as cost reduction and power consumption reduction.
Main advantages and characteristics
| low cost | The maximum bandwidth requirement for RedCap devices in the frequency band below 6 GHz has been reduced to 20 MHz. RedCap reduces the required number of receiving antennas and device layers, supporting 1R or 2R, greatly reducing the cost of 5G device chipsets and modules. It is estimated that the cost of RedCap components is 5 times lower than that of eMBB components, and the price of large-scale commercial components can be comparable to Cat 4 components. |
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Large capacity and efficient coexistence |
RedCap devices can run on a 5G network through separate initial BWP (Bandwidth Part) and synchronized independent signals defined by the cell, and can efficiently coexist with eMBB devices, fully leveraging the high bandwidth and large capacity advantages of 5G (compared to 4G). |
| High integration | RedCap data can have the ability to transmit and receive data at different frequencies, making connections easier to integrate and devices more compact. |
| multifunctional | Low latency, slicing, localization, low power consumption, etc. |
Main application scenarios
| Industrial sensor field | 5G connectivity has become a catalyst for the new wave of industrial internet and digitalization, enabling flexible deployment of networks, improving production efficiency, reducing maintenance costs, and ensuring operational security. In such application scenarios, there are a large number of temperature and humidity sensors, pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, remote controllers, etc. These scenarios have higher requirements for network service quality than LPWAN (including NB IoT, e-MTC, etc.), but lower capabilities than URLLC and eMBB. |
| Video surveillance field | In the field of smart cities, data collection and processing cover various vertical application industries, in order to more effectively monitor and control urban resources, and provide various convenient services for urban residents. For example, in the deployment of video cameras, the cost of wired deployment is increasing, and the flexibility of wireless deployment is increasingly favored, involving various scenarios such as urban traffic, urban security, and urban management, as well as application scenarios such as smart factories, home security, and office environments. |
| Wearable device field | As people's attention to big health gradually increases, smart watches, smart wristbands, chronic disease monitoring equipment, medical monitoring equipment, etc. have achieved large-scale popularization. In the iterative process, such products urgently require stronger network connectivity, lower power consumption, smaller device size, and richer software functions. After undertaking the 2G network upgrade, LTE Cat. 1 gradually expands its application scenarios and lays a solid foundation for 5G RedCap in the wearable field. |
