Samsung detailed their successful test of 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) over vRAN, in collaboration with the semiconductor company MediaTek.
Knowing the importance of machine-to-machine connectivity in IoT, this test highlights RedCap's potential to boost IoT device energy efficiency and battery life. It demonstrates Samsung's commitment to advancing 5G technology and promoting a sustainable IoT ecosystem.
Conducted in Samsung's R&D lab in Korea, the test utilized Samsung's vRAN 3.0 software, O-RAN compliant radio, and MediaTek's M60 modem-equipped RedCap testing platform. While RedCap vRAN testing has been done before, this achievement is unique because it focused on two key energy-saving features: Paging Early Indication (PEI) and extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX). These features have yet to be tested in a vRAN environment and are important because they significantly reduce device energy consumption by allowing them to remain in low-power states for extended periods.
Samsung has been continuing its progress in 5G RedCap over vRAN since last year by successfully completing data sessions in both lab and field. In April 2024, Samsung have already completed RedCap field test in Tier 1 U.S operator's commercial 5G vRAN network.
The collaboration verified the seamless integration of RedCap features over vRAN and Open RAN, focusing on two energy-saving features: Paging Early Indication (PEI) and extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX).
The successful demonstration of these energy-saving features has garnered excitement from industry experts.
HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership from MediaTek
Achieving this significant technology milestone, in collaboration with Samsung, will undoubtedly drive the 5G RedCap industry forward, building market confidence in the migration from legacy connectivity to the new standard and creating new opportunities for application developers in the next era of advanced IoT.
Joe Madden, Founder & Chief Analyst at Mobile Experts
The low cost and low power consumption of RedCap will open up new business models ranging from FWA to IoT with longer battery life. This test marks an important step toward the necessary interoperability, and it builds confidence that the low-power benefits of RedCap will be available in the market soon.
