Ericsson and MediaTek Successfully Tested RedCap’s 5G IoT Use Case
Ericsson and MediaTek have successfully tested the functionality and compatibility of Ericsson’s 5G Low Capacity (RedCap) products for future implementation in commercial 5G independent networks.
RedCap NR represents an important step in the evolution of 5G networks and the expansion of the 5G device ecosystem. Ericsson’s Wireless Access Network (RAN) software aims to support existing and new intermediate layer use cases such as smartwatches, other wearable devices, and industrial IoT devices by reducing complexity, energy consumption, and extending battery life.
RedCap interoperability testing was conducted in a testing environment, with Ericsson providing 5G RAN infrastructure and RedCap solution, and MediaTek providing their T300 device platform, compatible with 3GGP R17 and RedCap. The test has proven to be successful, demonstrating correct frequency band allocation, performance, and compatibility, emphasizing the potential of RedCap devices in expanding the 5G ecosystem and meeting the current 5G specifications that have not yet served the best.
Samir Vani, Latin American Business Development Director of MediaTek, emphasized, “The testing was successful, connected to the right track, and the bandwidth was also optimized.”
Marcos Scheffer, Director of Network and Management Services at Ericsson LATAM South, said, “We are proud of the successful testing conducted in S ã o Paulo, which demonstrated the capabilities of RedCap 5G technology. This achievement reflects Ericsson’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge technology to enhance connectivity experience. As operators continue to invest in network capabilities to seize the opportunities provided by 5G, the next wave will help them expand their business, provide new applications to consumers and businesses, and improve network performance and energy efficiency. RedCap is another driving force for the expansion of 5G devices and application ecosystems.”
RedCap provides data rates similar to LTE Cat-4 devices, but improves latency, device energy efficiency, and spectrum efficiency. This technology can also support 5G SA features such as enhanced localization and network slicing.
In addition, 5G SA’s ability to efficiently support more devices with spectrum efficiency to meet various use cases will support the growth trend of more connected IoT devices in residential and industrial environments. Overall, it is expected that these implementations will provide 5G consumers and enterprise customers with a more efficient, reliable, and seamless connectivity experience, improving their overall satisfaction with the network.
MediaTek T300 is compatible with 5G SA, LTE, and NR-FR1 (20MHz) and will provide higher reliability, supporting up to 256 QAM DL/UL and 1T2R MIMO/1CC for lower latency connections. In addition, they will include features such as dual card single activity (DSSA, dual card single activity) and network slicing, which are crucial for supporting various IoT applications.