Anritsu and Bluetest to Aid in Over-the-Air (OTA) Assessment for 5G RedCap Gadgets Enhanced for Internet of Things (IoT) Purposes

Anritsu and Bluetest to Aid in Over-the-Air (OTA) Assessment for 5G RedCap Gadgets Enhanced for Internet of Things (IoT) Purposes

In the rapidly evolving world of technology, the 5G RedCap specification is set to play a significant role in the IoT sector. Standardized in 3GPP Release 17, RedCap targets IoT devices that require moderate throughput, lower cost, smaller size, and reduced power consumption compared to full 5G NR devices. Offering peak data rates and bandwidth comparable to LTE Cat-4, RedCap is particularly suitable for IoT applications like wearables, industrial sensors, smart city infrastructure, and security cameras.

Commercial deployment of 5G RedCap IoT devices began in 2024 in major markets including the United States and China. Expansion plans are actively underway for Japan and other regions starting in 2025, reflecting a growing global adoption trend. The technology is seen as complementary to existing IoT standards like LTE-M and NB-IoT rather than a replacement, addressing use cases needing moderate throughput and better mobility without the complexity of full 5G.

Forecasts indicate that 5G RedCap modules could make up about 18% of total cellular IoT shipments by 2030, highlighting its expected significant uptake. Operators benefit from RedCap’s compatibility with existing 5G infrastructure and spectrum, allowing cost-effective expansion of IoT deployments without requiring separate networks. Device manufacturers and solution providers gain from a unified 5G development path that reduces fragmentation and leverages 5G system features like network slicing and enhanced security.

To support this growth, companies like Anritsu and Bluetest have developed Over-The-Air (OTA) testing solutions specifically for 5G RedCap devices. The solution developed by the collaboration combines Bluetest's Reverberation Test System (RTS) series and Anritsu's Base Station Simulator MT8000A. It is designed to evaluate the performance of 5G IoT devices compliant with the RedCap specification, including Total Radiated Power (TRP), Total Isotropic Sensitivity (TIS), and throughput. The wide reception range of the MT8000A helps stabilize communications during OTA testing.

Makoto Yamada, Director of Solution Marketing Department, Mobile Solutions Division at Anritsu, expressed pleasure in contributing to the efficiency of performance testing for 5G IoT devices. Sara Catteau, Business Development Manager at Bluetest, expressed satisfaction with the collaborative test solution for RedCap devices. The solution supports the global adoption of 5G IoT across a wide range of industries.

Pre-evaluation of RF performance will become increasingly important as the number of RedCap-compatible devices increases. The test solution developed by the collaboration is a significant contribution to the efficiency of performance testing for 5G IoT devices. OTA testing can sometimes result in unstable communications, but the solution enables fast, efficient testing.

As Japan prepares for commercial rollout and expansion of 5G RedCap IoT solutions starting in 2025, following deployments in the US and China, other regions are expected to follow, driven by the need to upgrade aging 2G/3G IoT networks and to deploy smart infrastructure and private networks with enhanced 5G capabilities. The partnership between Anritsu and Bluetest is expected to significantly contribute to the growth of the market for RedCap-compatible devices and the transition to 5G.

Data-and-cloud-computing solutions will be essential in managing the vast amount of data generated by the increasing number of 5G RedCap IoT devices, as these devices are expected to make up about 18% of total cellular IoT shipments by 2030. The growth of 5G RedCap IoT solutions, particularly in Japan starting in 2025, will require efficient performance testing technology, and the collaboration between Anritsu and Bluetest has developed a test solution to evaluate the performance of 5G RedCap devices, facilitating the global adoption of 5G IoT across various industries.

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