VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global IoT solutions provider, today announces the Quectel RG255G, a 5G RedCap MediaTek-based module. 5G Redcap, which is short for reduced capability, is a 5G variant defined in 3GPP Release 17 that combines the low latency and reliability of 5G with features such as network slicing in a cost-competitive chipset design with a lightweight architecture. For deployments that would benefit from these attributes but do not need the full capabilities of 5G, RedCap provides an elegant and cost-effective option.

The module, which is the world’s first 5G modem-RF system-on-chip (SoC), features MediaTek’s 5G RedCap UltraSave capability which results in 60% lower power consumption compared to existing 4G IoT modems, 70% lower power consumption compared to 5G extended mobile broadband (eMBB) modems and an additional 10% power saving with Release 17 power saving features enabled.

“We’re delighted to announce the Quectel RG255G 5G Red Cap module which will enable customers to access many of the advantages of 5G without having to accept the full cost and power demands of the technology,” said Norbert Muhrer, President and CSO, Quectel Wireless Solutions. “We see 5G RedCap enabling a wide range of IoT use cases and applications that demand ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and network slicing.”

The Quectel RG255G offers downlink performance of 220Mbps and uplink performance of 121Mbps on 256QAM or 91Mbps on 64QAM. Available in three form factors, LGA, M.2, Mini PCIe, the RG255G family operates in 20MHz bandwidth and offers support for LTE Cat 4 as well as GNSS. The modules also offer multiple interfaces including USB 2.0 and PCIe 1.0.

“The T300 series is the world's first 6nm radio frequency system-on-chip (RFSOC) single die solution for RedCap,” said Evan Su, General Manager of Wireless Communications Business Unit at MediaTek. “We see RedCap as a key means to democratize access to 5G features, providing our customers with the ability to optimize components and deliver 5G enabled devices for a wide range of applications at various price points.”

The RG255G module is ideal for applications that include power monitoring, point of sale, industrial automation, smart energy and smart grid, mid-speed mobile broadband and wearable devices.

Quectel’s IoT modules are developed with security at the core. From product architecture to firmware/software development, Quectel incorporates leading industry practices and standards, mitigating potential vulnerabilities with third party independent test houses and have incorporated security practices like generating SBOMs and VEX files as well as performing firmware binary analysis into the entire software development lifecycle.

The RG255G series will be available alongside a series of antennas, providing developers with the ability to purchase module and antennas at the same time, reducing cost and time to market.