Samsung and MediaTek test 5G RedCap over vRAN for longer IoT battery life

The test, conducted in Samsung's R&D lab in Korea, used Samsung's vRAN 3.0 software, OpenRAN compliant radio, and MediaTek's RedCap testing platform equipped with its M60 modem.

The trail ‘verified the seamless integration of RedCap features over vRAN and Open RAN’, says a Samsung blog, and it focussed on Paging Early Indication (PEI) and extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) – both of which are energy-saving features.

Samsung describes PEI as a feature that notifies the device in advance about the presence or absence of paging signals, which is supposed to reduce the number of occasions the device needs to wake up for paging monitoring. The idea is less energy is consumed by the device, as it can remain in a low-power state for extended periods.

eDRX meanwhile allows the device to enter sleep mode for extended durations (up to 3 hours in some cases) by increasing the monitoring cycle, we’re told, which also helps with energy efficiency and battery life.

“Samsung has been continuing its progress in 5G RedCap over vRAN since last year by successfully completing data sessions in both lab and field. Building upon this, Samsung has now taken one step further to test energy-saving features of RedCap over vRAN, marking a significant industry milestone,” states the Samsung Blog, authored by Eun Yong Kim, Vice President, Head of Air Technology, Networks Business at Samsung.

“As the global leader in vRAN and Open RAN, Samsung is continuing to introduce the latest features into vRAN and Open RAN network, empowering operators to provide best-in-class 5G connectivity, and expanding the IoT ecosystem with industry partners. By reducing the energy consumption and costs associated with connecting to 5G networks, Samsung's RedCap capability will open the door to a more inclusive and accessible IoT ecosystem, allowing even small and resource-constrained devices to play a role in the digital revolution.”

HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership from MediaTek added: "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."

Samsung's RedCap technology will be available this year for both traditional RAN and vRAN and Samsung has ‘plans to apply to Tier 1 operators' networks.’