The 5G reduced capacity (RedCap) specification is expanding momentum with operators and vendors both running network tests that are set to power surging edge and IoT markets. The latest efforts revolve around tests from AT&T and its vendor partner Nokia and chip giant MediaTek, as well as a different test from vendor Ericsson and MediaTek.

AT&T’s test involved data calls in a lab environment and in the field that used the operator’s nascent 5G standalone (SA) network core. The test used MediaTek’s RedCap platform to connect to AT&T’s 5G SA core running Nokia’s AirScale platform.

“This industry-first accomplishment in the U.S. will pave the way for 5G RedCap devices expected in the coming years,” Jason Sikes, associate VP for device architecture at AT&T, wrote in a blog post.

Ericsson’s work involved lab testing the interoperability of its RedCap software to work with MediaTek’s platform. It involved both data transmission and voice over new radio (VoNR) connections. VoNR is the technology that transmits voice calls over a 5G NR network.

The test included a frequency division duplex (FDD) transmission that resulted in 200 Mb/s downlink and 74 Mb/s uplink speeds, and a time division duplex (TDD) transmission that reached downlink speeds of 153 Mb/s and uplink speeds of 13.5 Mb/s.

TDD technology allows operators to adjust the uplink and downlink capacity of a spectrum channel based on need, while FDD spectrum is typically fixed in splitting its channel capacity evenly between the uplink and downlink.

Ericsson indicated it would be adding this RedCap software capability to its 5G SA network equipment in November.

RedCap, also known as NR-Light, was introduced as part of the 3GPP Release 17 specifications. It was basically designed as the 5G version of the narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) or LTE-M specifications used in 4G LTE.

The specification itself limits spectrum use to 20 megahertz for sub-6 GHz bands and 100 megahertz for millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum. AT&T explained this allows for simpler and smaller antenna designs with one transmitter and one or two receivers, unlike the more complex multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna designs required for full-feature 5G new radio (NR) devices like smartphones. This allows RedCap to reduce power usage.

Counterpoint Technology Market Research in a recent report explained that RedCap “is a lighter version of the 5G standard that will cater to those use cases where ultra-low latency is not essential, but there is a need for reasonable throughput to support data flows in applications like router/[customer-premises equipment], mass-market automotive, [point-of-sale] and telematics devices.”

Qualcomm earlier this year unveiled its new Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF System chip that uses the standard to target less data- and resource-intensive 5G use cases.

“On the lower-bandwidth perspective, smaller devices – let’s say industrial routers or other connectivity – it’s not every device that needs 200 Mb/s,” Gautam Sheoran, VP of product management at Qualcomm, noted in a press briefing for the launch. “But many of the devices that we see have power requirements, have size requirements, and in some cases a cost point that can fit their particular use case.”

CCS Insight’s Wayne Lam noted in a recent blog post that the NR-Light standard could be tied to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in edge environments, specifically citing surveillance cameras.

“Using machine learning datasets and inferencing, the AI-connected camera can perform localized surveillance services, as opposed to simply sending video to the network, freeing up network resources and data costs,” Lam wrote. “AI running on the camera can be tuned to detect activity, and once triggered it can send recorded images to the network.”

Ericsson’s November 2023 launch plans are slightly accelerated to the early 2024 timing noted by Qualcomm and analyst firms.

Counterpoint Research predicts “5G RedCap modules will constitute 18% of total cellular IoT module shipments by 2030, indicating a significant market potential, particularly in developing nations where the cost is key to wide technology adoption for digital transformation.”

Research firm IoT Analytics predicts 5G-enabled IoT module shipments will account for 16% of the market in 2026, with the NR-Light specification “expected to play a key part in the market’s growth beyond 2026.”

CCS Insight’s Lam echoed that notion, adding that it will also be vital to ongoing connected edge use cases.

“NR-Light represents a vital technology that helps right-size 5G connectivity for intelligent edge applications, clearing the way for innovative devices and services that take advantage of the network,” Lam stated. “Fundamentally, it’s the underlying technology in establishing the connected edge and imbuing it with intelligence.”

Hanumant Pawar, research associate at Counterpoint, added that an “enhanced” RedCap iteration is set to be included in the 3GPP Release 18 specifications that will take on use cases currently served by LTE Cat 1. That legacy standard is targeted at low-power applications such as telematics and industrial IoT applications, with Pawar noting the new 5G eRedCap could add tracking devices, charging stations, micromobility and battery-powered sensors.