Toward Smaller and Lower-Cost 5G Devices with Longer Battery Life: An Overview of 3GPP Release 17 RedCap

The fifth generation (5G) wireless technology is primarily developed to support three classes of use cases, namely, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), massive machine-type (mMTC), with significantly different requirements in terms data rate, latency, connection density, power consumption. Meanwhile, there are several key such as industrial sensor networks, video surveillance, wearables, whose fall in-between those eMBB, URLLC, mMTC. In this regard, 5G can be further optimized efficiently mid-range cases. Therefore, Release 17, the 3rd partnership project (3GPP) essential features a new device type enabling reduced capability (RedCap) radio (NR) devices aiming at lower cost/complexity, smaller physical size, longer battery life compared regular NR devices. article, we provide comprehensive overview 3GPP 17 Red-Cap while describing newly introduced features, cost reduction saving gains, performance coexistence impacts. Moreover, present design guidelines, fundamental tradeoffs, future outlook for RedCap evolution.