Nokia, BT Group and MediaTek trial 5G RedCap technology

• Nokia, BT Group, and MediaTek conduct successful field tests with 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology
• 5G RedCap simplifies 5G devices and supports the growth of the 5G ecosystem, allowing operators to provide more services to more devices on their 5G networks

Espoo, Finland. Nokia, together with BT Group and MediaTek today announced that they have successfully completed trials of 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology with RedCap devices. The trial, which took place at BT Group’s Adastral Park site, utilized Nokia’s AirScale RAN portfolio, EE’s 5G Standalone (SA) network, and MediaTek’s RedCap testing platform. RedCap is a technology introduced in 3GPP Release 17 that brings 5G to devices that do not require its full capabilities. It has the potential to expand the IoT ecosystem and accelerate its deployment within the industry. BT Group is evaluating RedCap to support new 5G use cases which could benefit both EE’s business and consumer customer bases.

5G devices such as smartphones often have complex hardware and power-hungry features which leads to higher cost, size, and power consumption. RedCap technology focuses on simplifying 5G devices, particularly small IoT devices such as wearables or health trackers for consumers as well as ruggedized routers, and environmental or other condition-based monitoring sensors. These devices have less demand for battery life and lower bandwidth requirements. RedCap ensures they maintain performance and optimizes their power efficiency. Nokia has played a pivotal role in advancing RedCap IoT functionality together with the telecommunications industry.

Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group said: “This trial with Nokia demonstrates the potential of RedCap technology in unlocking a new wave of innovation within the 5G services ecosystem. This is especially the case as we move towards the arrival of 5G SA, bringing with it enhanced reliability, responsiveness, security, and speed which – through 5G RedCap – promises to benefit a host of new IoT devices and use cases.”

Robert Moffat, Deputy Director Europe Mobile Business Development at MediaTek, said: “Our collaboration with Nokia and BT Group for this trial of 5G RedCap technology aligns with MediaTek's commitment to driving innovation and expanding the potential of 5G SA to include a wider ecosystem of devices and use cases.”

Phil Siveter, CEO, UK and Ireland at Nokia, commented: “The introduction of RedCap will unlock new 5G opportunities for many industries, with potentially billions of new devices connected with 5G. Our field tests with BT Group show that Nokia 5G Standalone networks are ready to support RedCap devices.”