Nokia, BT Group and MediaTek have successfully completed trials for 5G reduced capability (RedCap) technology allowing the fifth-generation cellular network to be ported to internet of things (IoT) devices.
RedCap technology has the potential to expand the IoT ecosystem and accelerate deployment of 5G-enabled cellular devices on the market. BT is exploring how the technology could support new 5G user cases for both business and consumer.
Unlike smartphones that are complex and require high levels of power consumption, RedCap focuses more on devices with less demand on battery life and lower bandwidth requirements. But these could still benefit from the enhance cellular network that 5G affords.
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group said: “This trial with Nokia demonstrates the potential of RedCap technology in unlocking a new wave of innovation within the 5G services ecosystem,” said Greg McCall, chief networks officer at BT Group. “This is especially the case as we move towards the arrival of 5G SA, bringing with it enhanced reliability, responsiveness, security, and speed which — through 5G RedCap — promises to benefit a host of new IoT devices and use cases.”
What is RedCap?
The 5G RedCap specification was released with the 3GPP standard unveiling. It is designed to provide 5G capabilities to less complex devices that also consume less power.
While smartphones use full-featured 5G chipsets, these are unable to be placed inside devices like smartwatches, augmented reality glasses and other IoT devices used for healthcare, asset tracking, smart home systems, fleet management and more.
5G RedCap core design has a maximum bandwidth of 20 MHz with a single carrier and comes without the requirement to aggregate multiple carries together. This allows for simpler and small antenna designs with one transmitter and one or two receivers, unlike the more complex designs required for 5G smartphones.
Not surprisingly, telecoms along with wireless equipment makers and communication vendors are looking to RedCap to expand their reach with 5G into areas that cannot be served normally with current technologies on the market.
The good news also is that 5G RedCap while reduced in capability still takes advantage of the benefits of the 5G network like improved bandwidth, download speeds and latency.