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Singapore’s largest telco, Singtel, announced that it has successfully completed Singapore’s first 5G RedCap trial of reduced capability technology (RedCap) on its live 5G network in collaboration with Ericsson and Taiwanese semiconductor company MediaTek.
As part of Singtel’s efforts to enhance its 5G capabilities to support the development of new innovative use cases for consumers and enterprises, the month-long trial took place across five different Singtel 5G standalone (SA) locations, utilizing Ericsson’s RedCap solution and MediaTek’s RedCap testing device.
RedCap technology provides IoT devices with lower data flow and reliable connectivity which reduces power consumption, resulting in a significant increase in the battery life of devices. With this technology, businesses can address the challenges of replacing batteries in IoT devices, particularly in remote areas, as well as that of high device production costs. RedCap is specifically designed to support mid-tier IoT devices, like smartwatches and industrial sensors.
According to MediaTek's 5G RedCap Modem report, RedCap is estimated to reduce power consumption for end users and chipset printed circuit board (PCB) area by 60 percent compared to existing 4G IoT devices. Further research by Ericsson shows that RedCap is expected to lower IoT device production costs for manufacturers by 50 to 70 percent.
RedCap technology plays a crucial role in facilitating the transition of IoT devices from Long-Term Evolution (LTE) to New Radio (NR), believes Singtel, providing significantly better connectivity and more reliable user experiences, which aid the development of more innovative use cases. Additionally, the migration to NR opens up opportunities for 5G capabilities like network slicing and mobile edge computing (MEC). This allows network operators to provide differentiated services tailored to specific use cases such as industrial automation.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore estimates the IoT market in Singapore reached US$1.1 billion in 2022, with growth driven by Smart Nation initiatives and Industry 4.0 efforts, particularly in the manufacturing and logistics sector.