IoT and 5G – THREE EXCITING EVOLUTIONARY STEPS
Mobile-communications technologies never stop evolving and being optimised and adapted to meet growing needs. 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability), NR Sidelink Relay and Passive IoT are three promising technological innovations that could open up new possibilities and use cases in the coming years. Our IoT expert Oscar Rechou shares initial insights.
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In 2019, the fifth generation of mobile communications was introduced. The development cycles continue and the industry is already working on the next step. With the next 5G releases, there will be some promising innovations that could have a big impact on IoT application. 5G Advanced is an intermediate step before the later 6G mobile-communications standard becomes available.
Oscar Rechou, Senior Business Development Manager IoT at Sunrise Business, presents three forward-looking developments that he believes offer fascinating possibilities: 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) and NR Sidelink Relay will become available to consumers soon. At a later point in time, Passive IoT will be introduced as one of the most promising, up-and-coming innovations for the Internet of Things.
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5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) is an evolution of 5G that was developed for medium-complexity use cases. «Redcap will be available as early as 2024, as will the first chipsets (Mediatek M60). Devices are expected to follow in 2025 and 2026,» says Oscar Rechou, citing the most important advantages of this development: «RedCap is capable of limiting the 5G spectrum, making it possible to operate smaller-capacity IoT applications at a lower cost.»
Because if you were to use the full 5G capacity for applications that require less capacity, this would take up an unnecessarily large amount of bandwidth, as Rechou illustrates in a comparison: «That would be like booking a three-lane highway to cycle from A to B.»
Facts about 5G RedCap
Unlike regular 5G technology, RedCap aims to provide a balanced mix of throughput, battery life, complexity and device density. Instead of the full bandwidth of 100 MHz within the 5G spectrum activated by Sunrise, with RedCap you only use a limited spectrum of 20 or even only 5 MHz.
RedCap is bridging a gap between 4G (LTE) and the conventional 5G version. On the one hand, RedCap offers a higher peak data rate compared to LTE Cat1, and on the other hand, thanks to 5G, very low latency times can be achieved – but simultaneously with improved energy efficiency, so that battery-powered IoT devices can be operated for longer and at a lower cost.
Overall, RedCap will significantly expand the performance and flexibility of 5G networks, thus laying the foundation for a multitude of new and innovative applications. With RedCap, it’s not only worth using 5G for applications with real-time video surveillance that require several GB, but also for use cases with just a few MB, says Oscar Rechou. Typical use cases for 5G RedCap are wireless industrial sensors, smart grids or wearables.
RedCap will significantly expand the performance and flexibility of 5G networks in a wide range of areas, thus laying the foundation for a multitude of new and innovative applications. Ultra-high data transmission rates in 5G networks could enable high-resolution video streaming or optimise virtual-reality experiences.
The significantly reduced latency times with RedCap could provide benefits for real-time applications such as autonomous driving, telemedicine or industrial control systems.
RedCap could be used specifically for IoT applications with high demands on reliability, such as in the areas of smart cities, industrial automation or connected healthcare devices – as well as anywhere where the reliability and robustness of 5G networks improve critical communication, such as in emergency-response organisations, public-security applications or in the field of defence.
RedCap is expected to enable a smooth migration process from LTE to 5G and is designed to provide basic connectivity for virtually all IoT applications. Today, LTE is used for many IoT applications.
To avoid having to operate 3G, 4G and also 5G in parallel in the future, RedCap could jump in and fill the gap so that only 5G NR (New Radio) needs to be operated. «Sunrise Business will use RedCap as soon as suitable devices are available,» says Rechou.
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The New Radio (NR) Sidelink protocol is also based on 5G and enables communication between different devices over short distances. Device-to-device technology (D2D) makes it possible for individual devices not to necessarily have to have their own 5G connection to be part of an IoT system.
«A typical scenario is connected vehicles that, thanks to Sidelink, are not reliant on their own 5G connection at all times. If another vehicle nearby offers a better connection, your own vehicle will benefit from it,» says Oscar Rechou. Several cars in a row automatically connect via Sidelink, so that a reliable connection with low latency is guaranteed, for example in the event of poor coverage or in a tunnel.
Facts about NR Sidelink Relay
Devices with a good connection serve as a bridge to Internet for other devices with Sidelink, which effectively results in an expansion of 5G network coverage. With Sidelink, wearables can also communicate without their own connection, since they are connected to the 5G network via a base station or a smartphone.
The first Sidelink approaches (V2X) have already been around since Release 12 (LTE).
NR Sidelink Relay will be available for 5G in 3GPP Release 17.
Sidelink Enhanced is part of 5G Advanced and will be launched in 3GPP Release 18 at the end of 2024.
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Traditionally, in manufacturing, logistics or warehousing, bar codes, QR codes or RFID labels are printed on paper and individually read with a hand scanner, which is labour-intensive and time-consuming. If the Passive IoT labels are scanned with an automated, nationwide remote reading function at the push of a button, this would speed up the process exponentially.
Unlike Active IoT devices, Passive IoT devices don’t send or receive any data themselves, since they don’t have their own power supply or direct Internet connection. In future, a stick-on tag will be enough to network an object in Passive IoT.
«These very reasonable tags look like an RFID chip, but have a range of up to 235 metres, instead of 10 metres with RFID,» explains Oscar Rechou Iglesias. Within this range, the Passive IoT tag can collect enough power to enable the terminal to communicate with the mobile base station, making a special scanner superfluous.
Facts about Passive IoT
An active antenna transmits a signal that the tags can send back by induction without having an energy source of their own. Passive networking of objects therefore requires an external infrastructure, such as a gateway, which is used in a logistics centre for access control, asset tracking or local smart city applications, for example.
Passive IoT networks will improve the detection rate, coverage and positioning accuracy. In warehouse management, for example, thousands of objects can be centrally managed, inventoried and located with an accuracy of 2 metres.
So, if only minimal information is required from networked objects, Passive IoT devices offer major advantages over conventional, more complex IoT devices and connection technologies. On the one hand, they are inexpensive to manufacture and operate, and do not require a power supply.
On the other hand, certain restrictions must be accepted for Passive IoT devices. For example, the dependence on active base stations or very limited functionality compared to devices that have a continuous Internet connection.
All three innovations promise not only new features and improved services, but also attractive opportunities for cost optimisation for companies. As an innovation driver, Sunrise Business actively integrates these technologies into the IoT plans for its customers in order to optimally support their business activities.
A more immediate benefit – especially for IoT applications – will come with the market entry of RedCap and Sidelink with 3GPP Release 17 , which is already planned for 2024. These technologies have the potential to optimise existing use cases and enable new projects.
Although the changes to 5G Advanced will only be released in the course of 2024 or 2025, it could still take a few years before they are available in Switzerland. The theory has already been put into practice with Sunrise – the network engineers have been actively testing the first prototypes with RedCap, Sidelink and Passive IoT for a few weeks now.
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In addition to Business Design Services for proof-of-concept studies, we actively advise our customers on IoT projects for technologies that are already available.
Sunrise Business offers smart communication and innovative ICT solutions in partnership with the world’s most powerful technology companies – all from a single source and for companies of any size.
In addition, Sunrise Business is renowned for its close ties with its business customers, who can rely on 24/7 support from passionate experts so they’re always prepared for the future.
All about IoT in the white paper
The Internet of Things has been a model of success for over 25 years. Read the white paper to find out how the IoT delivers more efficiency and innovations. Success factors, five current practical examples from Switzerland, new technology trends and proven project approaches from our experts will help make it easy for you to use the IoT.
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