Airtel, a prominent Indian telecommunications company, has collaborated with Ericsson to successfully test Ericsson’s pre-commercial Reduced Capability (RedCap) software on its 5G network. This milestone represents the first implementation and validation of RedCap in India and is a significant development in the evolution of 5G technology.
Ericsson’s RedCap software is designed to enhance 5G use cases and expand the capabilities of the network, allowing for a higher number of 5G connections from various devices such as smartwatches, wearables, industrial sensors, and AR/VR devices. RedCap complements the existing new radio (NR) specifications by offering similar data rates while improving latency, device energy efficiency, and spectrum efficiency compared to LTE device category 4. Additionally, it has the potential to support advanced 5G NR features like enhanced positioning and network slicing.
The adoption of RedCap software by Airtel and Ericsson introduces new possibilities for communication service providers by extending their offerings beyond enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) on 5G standalone architecture. This broadens the ecosystem and provides opportunities for monetization in both consumer and industrial sectors.
RedCap also allows for the efficient integration of 5G capabilities into devices such as smartwatches and industrial sensors, optimizing their performance and cost-effectiveness. This approach is particularly beneficial for diverse use cases that may not require the full capabilities of current 5G technology. For consumers, it benefits applications like wearables and augmented reality/virtual reality, while industrial applications encompass video monitoring and inventory management.
By leveraging RedCap, Airtel aims to improve operational efficiencies with optimized cost structures, contributing to the advancement of Industry 4.0 through the implementation of 5G private networks.
