Optus has tapped telco vendor Ericsson and chip designer MediaTek to help prepare its network to support 5G watches, video surveillance and other smart devices.
To that effect, the telco announced it has completed Australia’s first over-the-air data-call using Ericsson’s pre-commercial Reduced Capability (RedCap) software on its 5G network.
RedCap is new radio access network (RAN) software that on 5G New Radio (NR) systems offer similar capabilities and data rates to 4G LTE category 4, but with improved latency, better device energy and spectrum efficiency.
Optus said the advancement would help the telco enable 5G in simpler, low power and low cost RedCap devices.
“Optus is always pushing the boundaries on network technology to find ways to improve the experience of our customers,” the telco's managing director of networks Lambo Kanagaratnam said.
“This announcement is about catering for 5G for wearable devices, like watches, so customers can benefit from accessing the most up to date technology in their daily lives."
"With this Australian-first data call on RedCap, we are paving the way for future 5G wearable devices," Kanagaratnam said.
Ericsson’s RedCap technology is aimed at consumer applications like wearables, health monitors, augmented reality (AR) devices (like glasses) as well as industrial applications such as video surveillance, and industrial sensors due to its small device size, long battery life and substantial throughput.
The software is also aimed at powering smart cities, like devices including smart grids, environmental sensors, predictive maintenance and utility meters.
“We are pleased to be working with Optus and MediaTek to bring the benefits of Ericsson RedCap to Optus’ customers." Ericsson’s Martin Wiktorin said.
"With this advancement, Optus can offer enhanced 5G connectivity for everything from consumer wearables to industrial sensors in a way that is both cost and energy-efficient, unlocking a whole range of new use cases," Wiktorin said.
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