Nokia and du complete 5G-Advanced RedCap trial

Finnish vendor Nokia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) telco du announced the conclusion of what it claimed to be UAE’s first 5G-Advanced 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) trial over a commercial network.

The partners said that this recent trial showcased the readiness of du’s 5G network for innovative use cases in areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables and Industry 4.0 to address 5G monetization challenges.

RedCap, sometimes referred to as NR Light, is a reduced set of 5G capabilities intended for devices like wearables and low-cost hotspots that have low battery consumption, lower costs and lower bandwidth requirements. Introduced with 3GPP Release 17, 5G RedCap is designed for devices currently served by LTE CAT-4 but provides equivalent or better in performance with up to 150 Mbps theoretical maximum downlink throughput. This technology helps reduce the complexity, cost and size of 5G devices.

Nokia and du trialed MediaTek’s T300 series RedCap test equipment in the carrier’s 5G Standalone (SA) radio access network (RAN) built with Nokia’s AirScale radio products, leveraging existing mid-band spectrum.

The two companies also noted that following this trial, they will extend RedCap over low-band frequencies with the aim of ensuring a high level of coverage and connectivity.

Saleem Alblooshi, CTO at du, said: “This collaboration introduces the revolutionary 5G-Advanced RedCap functionalities, enabling seamless connectivity of RedCap devices to cutting-edge 5G networks. Nokia’s innovation simplifies and pioneers the development of 5G devices, particularly wearables and small IoT devices, significantly enhancing LTE-CAT4 performance and optimizing energy efficiency. These remarkable technological advancements are pivotal in propelling Industry 4.0 revolution.”

“This new collaboration between du and Nokia represents not only a significant step forward in the monetization of 5G technology but also solidifies the UAE’s position as a pioneer in the evolution of 5G use cases for society and enterprises. As the collaboration progresses, both companies are poised to revolutionize the way we experience and interact with 5G technology, unlocking unprecedented possibilities for innovation and connectivity,” said Mikko Lavanti, senior vice president at Nokia MEA.

In September, Nokia said it conducted field tests of 5GRedCap with Telia and MediaTek in Finland.

Telia, Nokia and MediaTek performed the RedCap field tests using a base station from Telia Finland’s production network and a Standalone 5G core network on MediaTek’s RedCap test platform. The test also included mobility sections to ensure signal transmission.

Looking for more insights on performance, price and development of 5G RedCap? Download the editorial feature report “5G-enabled IoT: Will RedCap help deliver on the promise of digital transformation?” and watch the accompanying on-demand webinar, featuring Viavi Solutions and Fibocom.