Bharti Airtel, in collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully testing Ericsson’s pre-commercial Reduced Capability (RedCap) software on the Airtel 5G network. This groundbreaking testing marks the first implementation and validation of RedCap in India, conducted on a 5G TDD network.
Ericsson’s RedCap software is designed to enhance 5G capabilities, enabling a broader range of use cases and increasing the number of 5G connections from various devices, including smartwatches, wearables, industrial sensors, and AR/VR devices.
Compared to LTE device category 4, RedCap offers similar data rates while improving latency, device energy efficiency, and spectrum efficiency. Additionally, it has the potential to support advanced 5G NR features like enhanced positioning and network slicing.
The successful implementation of Ericsson RedCap opens up new horizons for communication service providers, expanding the range of services available on 5G standalone architecture and creating fresh opportunities for both consumers and industries.
RedCap simplifies device integration, making it cost-effective for a variety of applications, from wearables and augmented reality to video monitoring and inventory management. For Bharti Airtel, RedCap also promises operational efficiencies and an accelerated transformation toward industry 4.0 with 5G private networks.
Regarding the matter, Sandeep Hingorani, Head of Network Solutions for Customer Unit Bharti at Ericsson said,
With our customers like Airtel continuously investing in network capabilities to seize the opportunities offered by 5G, the commercialization of RedCap capabilities will enable them to grow their consumer business and enable new industry applications, all while improving network performance and energy efficiency.