5G RedCap and IoT: GCF certification supports evolution towards 6G

• 04 Sep 2025
• Lars Nielsen

The Internet of Things (IoT) is all about communication – and while many wireless technologies have their place in IoT applications, there are multiple advantages of using cellular connections based on 3GPP standards for many of these applications. For example, 5G can deliver reliable connectivity, with super-fast speeds and low latency, while LTE-M and NB-IoT can provide low power wide-area connections.

To better meet the needs of the IoT in 5G networks, an emerging option is 5G NR Light (also known as 5G Reduced Capability or 5G RedCap), which provides lower speeds than standard 5G, while retaining many of its advanced features and enabling lower costs.

In this article we’ll look at 5G RedCap, including the newer enhanced RedCap (eRedCap) variant, how it compares to existing 4G LTE and 5G technologies, and how the GCF Certification program is ready to accommodate its adoption and growth.

Developments in IoT wireless technologies

As IoT-oriented technologies evolve to match the needs of the industry, they offer much-increased data rates (see Figure 1). Along with other technology improvements, such as low-power components that help increase battery life, this contributes to the ever-growing number of use cases for the IoT.

Figure 1: Evolution of IoT/M2M Technologies

4G LTE and 5G technologies are becoming increasingly popular in the IoT, and by 2030, there are forecast to be more than 7 billion cellular IoT connections^[1].        Within this number, up to 18% of all cellular IoT modules are predicted to be based on 5G RedCap^[2].

What is 5G RedCap?

With the growth in the IoT, there is an increasing demand for 5G devices with low power consumption and lower cost. In response, 3GPP Release 17 introduced 5G RedCap, which opens up the advanced features and spectral efficiency of 5G NR to devices that do not need its full speed. Potential applications include industrial sensors, which typically require relatively low data rates of 2 Mbps or less.

5G RedCap (also known as 5G NR Light) is designed to broaden the application of 5G to use cases which are not well-served by conventional 5G NR, but could still benefit from its advanced features and spectral efficiency. It does so by offering lower bandwidth and fewer features at a reduced cost, without the complexity of regular 5G NR.

To achieve this, the 5G RedCap standard limits bandwidth to 20 MHz, and removes features such as carrier aggregation. It supports speeds of up to 226 Mbps (downlink) and up to 120 Mbps (uplink) – which is much higher than LTE Cat 1 and more than enough for many use cases, even though it is well below the speeds of multiple Gbps delivered by conventional  5G NR. To reduce power consumption, RedCap leverages three key capabilities (eDRX, relaxed monitoring and wake-up signal) that can dramatically extend battery life in sensors and other devices.

5G RedCap is particularly suitable for IoT and industrial applications that need higher data throughput than other LPWA technologies can provide, such as video surveillance, industrial sensors, and wearables. It sits between massive machine-type communications (mMTC) and enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), providing a mix of features, speed and cost that suits many customers.

Another factor to consider for the IoT is legacy infrastructure. When cell phone operators roll out 5G networks, they can be based on a legacy 4G LTE core network (referred to as 5G non-standalone, NSA). However, where a 5G private network is being created there will probably not be an existing LTE core to build on.

This means that a private network would likely be 5G standalone (SA), or alternatively rely on LTE connectivity, allowing lower-cost LTE options such as LTE-M, Cat 1 or Cat 4. The 5G RedCap standard is based on the 5G SA architecture, which means it supports key 5G features such as network slicing, uRLLC and cloud-native orchestration - all at a more affordable cost than standard 5G, and with lower power consumption.

The latest generation of the technology, known as enhanced RedCap (eRedCap), was added in Release 18. While both 5G NR and 5G RedCap support both the FR1 and FR2 frequency bands, eRedCap operates only in FR1. This further restricts both upload and download speeds to 10 Mbps, enabling costs to be driven even lower, while still providing sufficient data rates for many IoT applications.

The first eRedCap devices are expected to be available in 2026^[3]. To make upgrades simple, eRedCap devices can use the same network as RedCap.

GCF and 5G RedCap

When cellular technologies are used with IoT devices, there are issues to consider that are not generally encountered with smartphones and other high-volume consumer devices. For example, IoT device vendors may build multiple product variants for different countries or private networks with different, use-case specific, frequency bands.

Devices may only sell in relatively small numbers, making cost-effective certification an issue where budgets could be constrained. Also, IoT device manufacturers may lack knowledge of cellular technologies while being specialists in the primary function of their product – such as an industrial sensor or a smart meter. The device vendors must overcome these issues to ensure that cellular connectivity works properly and the device is interoperable, and needs to certify its products or fully test them to enable smooth operation on the network.

This is where GCF can help. GCF certification programmes ensure compliance with global industry standards for connectivity and services. GCF certified products help cut time to market and avoid unnecessary support costs.

Within GCF, the IoT Agreement Group (IAG) focuses on the testing and certification requirements for IoT devices with mobile connectivity. GCF has developed a streamlined certification process for manufacturers that are integrating a module or chipset that has already been certified by GCF, within the past three years, into their IoT device.

Certifications by the numbers

In 2023, GCF launched its 5G RedCap certification. The first product, the Quectel RG255C-GL module, was certified in September 2024. Since then, 5 additional products have been certified for their 5G RedCap capabilities, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

The growth of the IoT within GCF Certification is very significant. If we go back a decade or so, almost all devices certified by GCF were mobile phones. As recently as 2020, smartphones were the most common type of device certified (see Figure 2). Today, they have been overtaken by modules, many of which are targeted at IoT applications. Figure 2 also shows the growing numbers of devices being certified for other IoT-related uses, such as in the automotive sector.

Figure 2: Evolution of modular & IoT Certifications within GCF (2025 data, first half of the year)

 Having only a few 5G RedCap devices certified for the moment, show a slow start for this technology. We expect that more operators and vendors will incorporate 5G RedCap during 2025 leading to certification of low end 5G modules supporting the technology.

Looking ahead: 5G-Advanced, 6G and NTN

As the 3GPP continues to evolve its technology standards, 5G-Advanced and 6G are coming up fast. The standards will need to consider IoT-oriented use-cases that have not been addressed by previous generations, including increasingly data-intensive applications.

Future changes expected in the IoT space include increased usage of IoT eSIM, with SGP.32 technology improving interoperability and security. Another predicted trend is the growth in self-powered Ambient IoT, where low power consumption is essential.

We also expect increased satellite connectivity for IoT using non-terrestrial networks (NTN), with NTN IoT playing a significant role in certain use cases, such as maritime transport, and tracking via satellites. 3GPP Release 19 will add 5G RedCap device support to NR NTN.

Overall, Release 19 will build on the introduction of 5G-Advanced in Release 18. Looking further ahead, Release 20 will provide detailed technical information on 6G, while Release 21 will specify the 6G radio network itself.

 Figure 3: GCF Evolution and Status of key  3GPP Standards-based technologies towards 6G, release by release.    

Whatever the future holds for IoT and wireless technologies, the need to certify 5G and 6G devices will remain – and GCF is the expert partner to make this possible.