Bharti Airtel (Airtel), a leading communications solutions provider in India, and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), have jointly announced the successful testing of Ericsson’s pre-commercial Reduced Capability (RedCap) software on the Airtel 5G network. In collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., utilizing its 5G RedCap test module, this testing on the 5G TDD network marks the first implementation and validation of RedCap technology in India.
Ericsson’s RedCap is an innovative radio access network (RAN) software solution designed to unlock new 5G use cases and support a greater number of 5G connections from devices like smartwatches, wearables, industrial sensors, and AR/VR devices.
RedCap represents the next evolution in 5G technology, catering to use cases not entirely addressed by current new radio (NR) specifications. In comparison to LTE device category 4, RedCap delivers similar data rates while improving latency, device energy efficiency, and spectrum efficiency. It also has the potential to support 5G NR features such as enhanced positioning and network slicing.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO at Bharti Airtel, stated, “At Airtel, we are continuously exploring technological innovations to enhance the customer experience. The successful testing of RedCap technology on our network will pave the way for advanced IoT broadband adoption for devices like wearables and industrial sensors, offering cost and energy efficiency. RedCap’s versatility aligns with our innovation agenda, enabling the development of new applications for consumers, industries, and enterprises.”
Sandeep Hingorani, Head of Network Solutions for Customer Unit Bharti at Ericsson, added, “As customers like Airtel continually invest in network capabilities to leverage the opportunities presented by 5G, the commercialization of RedCap capabilities will empower them to expand their consumer business and enable new industry applications, all while enhancing network performance and energy efficiency.”
Ericsson’s RedCap is poised to revolutionize the offerings of communications service providers, allowing the introduction of services beyond enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) on 5G standalone architecture. This will expand the ecosystem and provide new monetization opportunities in both consumer and industrial domains.
RedCap efficiently simplifies the complexity, size, and capabilities of device platforms, making them cost-effective for integration into devices such as smartwatches and industrial sensors. This approach facilitates diverse use cases that may not always require the high-performance capabilities of current 5G technology. Some of the applications benefiting from RedCap include wearables, augmented reality/virtual reality for consumers, and industrial applications like video monitoring and inventory management. For Bharti Airtel, RedCap holds the potential to enhance operational efficiencies with optimized cost structures, accelerating the transition to industry 4.0 with 5G private networks.
