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

Nordic telco Telia has conducted field tests of 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) with Nokia and MediaTek in Finland, Telia said in a release.

RedCap is a new Radio Access Network (RAN) 5G software solution that supports new and existing use cases for devices such as smartwatches, other wearables and industrial sensors. Some of the main benefits of RedCap include reduced device chipset cost, lower complexity and less power consumption.

“Telia already offers IoT networks with better coverage, longer battery life and lower costs,” said Arttu Rantala,  senior business manager at Telia. “These networks are also being developed in 5G, where we can offer solutions and innovations that would not have been possible before. We will be able to connect a huge number of devices to our network, which will help our customers improve their efficiency and achieve their sustainability goals. We have now tested 5G RedCap, which in the future will complement IoT,” the executive added.

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, Telia said.

“Successful field tests confirm that Nokia’s independent 5G networks are ready for RedCap technology. RedCap terminals enable the use of an independent 5G network in applications that use lower bandwidth. In this way, we ensure that RedCap serves the IoT needs of companies and industry and enables the development of a wider range of consumer devices,” said Ari Kynäslahti, strategy and technology director of Nokia’s Mobile Networks business group .

“Cooperation with Telia and Nokia has been a key factor in building the 5G IoT market,” said MediaTek’s European sales director Pascal Lemasson. “RedCap is a significant technology step that makes 5G-IoT devices, for example wearable devices and industrial wireless sensors, more efficient and affordable, while they utilize all the advantages of 5G connections.”

At the end of September, Telia Finland’s 5G population coverage is already 90%.

According to Telia’s estimate, the number of IoT devices connected to the mobile network in the Nordics and the Baltics is constantly growing. In 2021, the growth was 44 percent, which is more than double the growth compared to 2020.