GSA forms new 5G RedCap Special Interest Group to drive industry ecosystem

GSA launches new working group to track, report and promote status of 5G RedCap deployments, devices and service launches globally

The Global mobile Suppliers Association today announced the establishment of a new RedCap Special Interest Group to bring together leading telecommunications companies wishing to track, boost and promote the ecosystem for 5G RedCap network deployments, connected IoT devices, FWA devices and service launches.

5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) devices are designed to cater to Internet of Things (IoT) use cases with requirements on low device complexity and power consumption but moderate requirements on peak data rates. This technology is built upon the 5G NR (New Radio) standard and aims to offer a balanced approach to connectivity, enabling implementation and operation of cost- and energy-efficient devices for a wide range of IoT applications.

To deploy RedCap, operators must first have a 5G standalone network, making the ongoing expansion of 5G SA networks worldwide a guide to RedCap readiness. As of February 2025, GSA identified 154 operators in 63 countries investing in 5G standalone. When assessing the global status of 5G RedCap in this latest report, GSA identified 26 operators in 18 countries that are currently investing in RedCap technology, indicating the early stage of its development.

Joe Barrett, President of the Global mobile Suppliers Association, said: “5G RedCap is still in its initial stages of development and growth, particularly when it comes to compatible devices and chipsets. Nevertheless, indications of future growth for 5G RedCap are already emerging. This is why it is time for the industry ecosystem to now work together to promote, track and report on the true status of the technology and collectively expand the RedCap ecosystem globally.

“5G RedCap’s role as the bridge for mid-tier IoT applications, coupled with the clear demand for IoT connectivity providers based on LTE technologies, indicates a promising market, with significant growth expected in the medium to long term, especially as 5G New Radio continues its global expansion and the capabilities of LTE technologies diminish. RedCap can also help serving some FWA scenarios thanks to its lower cost device capabilities.”

The new GSA RedCap SIG brings together vendors from across the ecosystem to track and promote the status of RedCap products, features and mobile networks. SIG Partners and Members can promote their RedCap-enabled products via the GSA website and GAMBoD databases, while the GSA Research Team will support the work of the SIG with regular industry reports and webinars on the global status of the technology.

Founding members of the 5G RedCap SIG include Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, MediaTek, Qualcomm and VIAVI Solutions. Membership of GSA groups, which also cover areas of special interest including 4G/5G fixed wireless access and private mobile networks, is open to all GSA Executive & Ordinary Members and GSA Associates. Organisations subscribing to GSA as a Member or Associate benefit from unlimited access for every employee to GSA’s unique GAMBoD databases.

This month GSA also published its latest report on 5G RedCap, which is available for download here. This new report delves into what 5G RedCap entails and its advantages for operators, and introduces enhanced RedCap (eRedCap) and the potential in this nascent area to shape the ecosystem.

On 29th April 2025, the GSA 5G RedCap SIG, together with the GSA Research Team, will dig into the latest market trends and data on industry adoption of 5G RedCap for IoT and share how the work of the 5G RedCap SIG will support the ecosystem in driving further growth. You can register for the webinar here: https://gsacom.com/group/redcap-sig/

For more information on 5G RedCap IoT, and the work of the GSA RedCap Special Interest Group, please visit https://gsacom.com/group/redcap-marketing-special-interest-group/.

To enquire about how your organisation can become a GSA Associate and participate in the SIG, please email membership@gsacom.com.