T-Mobile US collaborated with consumer electronics manufacturer TCL on the 5G RedCap USB-C dongle

T-Mobile US has launched TCL LINKPORT IK511, a 5G RedCap USB-C dongle, in collaboration with consumer electronics manufacturer. The new device features the Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF System, offers peak data rates of 220Mb/s and, said the carrier, is the only commercially available 5G RedCap device currently in North America.

RedCap is a 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology, bringing IoT and lower-performance devicesthe 5G SA world. But lower performance doesn’t mean “low” performance as it has been understood in the NB-IoT, LPWA world. RedCap’s speeds, latency and spectrum use are largely on-par with advanced LTE capabilities. As such, RedCap is considered the 5G heir to LTE Cat-4 in terms of speed, antenna design and battery life.

In fact, according to T-Mobile US, the TCL LINKPORT IK511 offers “significantly faster speeds” compared to existing LTE Cat 4 connections. Further, the carrier said those using the device will have access to advanced network features such as network slicing and additional T-Mobile-specific services like T-Priority, T-Mobile Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and T-Mobile Security Slice.

“5G RedCap will transform how consumers and businesses connect, catapulting old Wi-Fi-only devices onto the nation’s leading 5G network,” said John Saw, EVP and CTO of T-Mobile. “LINKPORT — on T-Mobile’s network — provides instant, flexible 5G access, whether for first responders, educators, or everyday users.”

The TCL Linkport IK511 is available today and currently priced at $96, with a limited time 50% discount for customers adding the device to an existing 5G plan. Airtime costs an additional $5 per month.