Makers of small cellular devices have had to choose between the 4G technologies that keep power consumption low but move very little data, and the higher LTE categories that deliver the throughput at the cost of a second antenna, more power and a bigger bill of materials. 5G RedCap, introduced in 3GPP Release 17, was written for the devices that sit in between, bringing Cat-4 throughput to products running on a single antenna and a battery that has to last.
This whitepaper is a practical look at what that means for a wearable, an asset tracker or an industrial sensor. It sets RedCap against the 4G technologies these devices use today, goes through what operators measured in the first trials, covers the modules already shipping with fallback to 4G, and explains how Ignion’s Virtual Antenna® technology covers both 4G and 5G bands from the same component.
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