Video surveillance, remote monitoring, and fixed wireless devices drive 5G RedCap IoT

ABI Research said it expects devices in Remote Monitoring and Control, Video Surveillance and Security, and Fixed Wireless Terminals to be the first to migrate to 5G RedCap. ABI forecasts between 2024 and 2029, approximately 50 million RedCap module shipments across these application segments, equating to 58% of the IoT RedCap market. Reduced Capability (RedCap) aims to provide a cheaper alternative to full 5G, offering a natural replacement for the LTE categories on which manufacturers of mid-range IoT devices frequently rely. 5G RedCap offers comparable throughput performance to LTE Cat-4 and LTE Cat-6, while enhanced RedCap (eRedCap) delivers equivalent throughput performance to LTE Cat-1 and Cat-1bis. “RedCap is mostly considered as a replacement technology, to provide an affordable migration pathway from LTE. 5G RedCap is drawing interest across the IoT value chain, with Video Surveillance and Fixed Wireless Terminal Routers and Gateways dominating the first device launches in 2024,” explains Jonathan Budd, Industry Analyst at ABI Research. “Devices with lifecycles upwards of eight years are more likely to migrate to 5G RedCap in the near term. Doing so allows manufacturers to future-proof their devices, offsetting some uncertainty surrounding 4G network longevity. There is also strong interest in 5G RedCap from auto OEMs in China and Europe to connect entry-level ve...