5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) is a simplified and more efficient category of 5G New Radio introduced in 3GPP Release 17. It’s designed for IoT and mid‑tier devices that need more performance than LTE‑M or NB‑IoT but don’t require the high throughput or hardware complexity of full 5G. Often referred to as NR‑Light, RedCap reduces bandwidth and antenna requirements to lower device cost, improve power efficiency, and extend battery life while still operating over 5G Standalone networks.

‍