Ericsson has recently announced its new Reduced Capability (RedCap) solution as reported by TelecomTalk. Building upon this achievement, Ericsson has collaborated with MediaTek to perform interoperability development testing (IoDT). According to Ericsson, this testing focused on testing the capabilities of Ericsson's RedCap software, a radio access network (RAN) solution, to enhance the performance and efficiency of 5G devices.
Also Read: Ericsson Introduces RedCap: New Solution for Enhanced 5G Connectivity and Extended Battery Life
Ericsson and MediaTek Advance 5G Device Capabilities
Ericsson said its RedCap software, a radio access network (RAN) software, was tested in both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum bands. The test demonstrated the capability of Ericsson RedCap to enhance 5G use cases, particularly for devices like wearables, sensors, and industrial surveillance cameras, with improved battery efficiency.
The key highlights of the RedCap Interoperability for 5G SA include the following :
IoDT Test and Results
The IoDT took place at an Ericsson lab in Sweden using pre-commercial Ericsson RedCap software and MediaTek's RedCap testing platform. The testing included both FDD and TDD data calls.
The FDD data call achieved throughput speeds of 220 Mbps for downlink and 74 Mbps for uplink. The TDD data call reached a downlink speed of 153 Mbps and an uplink speed of 13.5 Mbps. These speeds are considered suitable for various devices, such as consumer wearables and industrial sensors enabled by Ericsson RedCap.
RedCap's Capabilities
Ericsson RedCap software enables data and Voice over New Radio (VoNR) calls on both FDD and TDD spectrum bands. This is expected to open up new possibilities for a range of devices that do not require the full performance capabilities of 5G.
RedCap is focused on optimizing the network for lower complexity devices and supporting diverse use cases that may not demand the high performance of traditional 5G technology.
Also Read: Ericsson Introduces On-Demand 5G Network Slicing for Android Devices
Battery Efficiency and Device Ecosystem
According to Ericsson, the software addition of Ericsson RedCap to 5G standalone (5G SA) networks is anticipated to enhance the ecosystem for various types of devices that can connect to 5G networks.
RedCap is expected to provide support for optimizing device energy consumption, thereby meeting the requirements of devices with extended battery life needs.
Commercial Availability and Future Growth
Ericsson RedCap is expected to be commercially ready in November 2023 as a software addition to 5G SA powered by Ericsson. It is aimed at stimulating the growth of new 5G use cases and expanding the NR (New Radio) device ecosystem.
Also Read: Ericsson’s Recent FWA Milestone Could Benefit Indian Telecom Market
Collaboration and Market Impact
The successful interoperability test with MediaTek demonstrates the effectiveness of RedCap and is expected to encourage the development of innovative 5G products and services.
Ericsson stated, "The interoperability test with MediaTek is part of its effort to build the ecosystem needed for bringing multiple types of 5G devices to the market."
Overall, Ericsson RedCap's capabilities, as demonstrated in this interoperability testing, are expected to contribute to the evolution of 5G technology, enabling a wider range of devices and use cases with improved efficiency and performance.
