T-Mobile commercializes RedCap, touts speed and securityT-Mobile commercializes RedCap, touts speed and security

T-Mobile this week introduced its first RedCap device, the Linkport IK511 mobile hotspot from vendor TCL. The operator hailed the new 5G gadget as a more reliable, more secure and faster way to access the Internet when compared with Wi-Fi or 4G.

Specifically, T-Mobile said the hotspot supports speeds up to 220 Mbit/s and that it will be available for just under $100. The gadget runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon X35 Modem-RF System.

T-Mobile explained that the new TCL hotspot will be able to access its 5G standalone (SA) services like network slicing. That's because RedCap (short for "reduced capability") is intended for 5G SA networks and not the non-standalone (NSA) 5G networking technology that still underpins most 5G networks today.

5G SA networks are sometimes billed as "true" 5G in that they can support advanced networking technologies like RedCap and network slicing. Thus, T-Mobile likely hopes to use the new TCL hotspot as a way to further set itself apart from rivals like AT&T and Verizon.

AT&T this summer launched RedCap in portions of Dallas to allow its chipset and module suppliers to get their devices certified to work on AT&T's network, according to Fierce Network. Meanwhile, Verizon tested RedCap capabilities last year but has remained mum on the topic since then.

Both AT&T and Verizon have trailed T-Mobile in the US wireless industry's broad shift from 5G NSA to 5G SA technology.

The newest IoT technology

RedCap is a technology that was released in 2022 as part of 3GPP's Release 17 batch of specifications. The 3GPP is the main standards organization for 5G, and every year or so it releases updates to the standard.

RedCap is essentially the 5G version of the NB-IoT and LTE-M specifications that are currently used in 4G LTE networks. Such technologies are designed to streamline 4G and 5G connections so they're more appropriate for Internet of Things (IoT) connections. For example, RedCap connections can use less battery than standard 5G connections.

"Examples of use cases that will be addressed by RedCap include wearables such as smart watches, wearable medical devices, and low-end AR/VR glasses, video surveillance, industrial sensors, smart grids, and so on," according to equipment vendor Ericsson.

ABI Research recently predicted that 80 million RedCap modules will be shipped into the market over the next five years.

It's noteworthy – though not surprising – that T-Mobile's first RedCap device is a hotspot (cellular devices that broadcast a Wi-Fi signal so users can connect nearby gadgets to the Internet). New networking technologies are often introduced in such devices. They then will typically make their way into other device categories, such as smartwatches or industrial sensors.