e& UAE has completed an eRedCap live network test on its commercial 5G network, the first such test announced by any telecom operator. eRedCap, short for enhanced Reduced Capability, is a stripped-down version of 5G built for devices that do not need full 5G speed or power. The company said the result gives businesses and public bodies a practical way to move Internet of Things (IoT) equipment off older LTE technology and onto a 5G-native IoT platform.
What the eRedCap live network test showed
The eRedCap live network test ran on e& UAE’s live commercial network, not a lab setup. Engineers reached download speeds of up to 10Mbps on eRedCap devices while using a 5MHz slice of NR-FDD spectrum. A Data Transmission Unit, a module that sends device data across the network, confirmed the service worked from end to end. That narrow 5MHz channel matters. It keeps device hardware simple and cheap, which suits equipment made in large volumes.
eRedCap 5G IoT sits between two extremes. Full 5G handles phones and heavy data. Low-power options like NB-IoT handle slow trickles of data from simple sensors. Many devices fall in the middle. Smart utility meters, industrial sensors, fleet trackers, payment terminals, building systems, and some wearables need steady coverage and long battery life, not top speed. The technology targets that middle band. It runs on a 5G Standalone network, meaning a 5G core rather than one leaning on 4G underneath.
RedCap battery life is already improved on standard 5G. RedCap pushes it further. Because peak data rates stay low and the channel is narrow, a device can run 5 to 10 years on one battery, against 1 to 3 years for RedCap. That figure sits close to the low-power radio technologies many meters use today. On cost, coverage, and battery life, eRedCap matches LTE Cat-1 and Cat-1bis. That makes it an LTE Cat-1 replacement built for 5G, which matters as operators plan to switch off LTE and reclaim that spectrum.
What it means for enterprises
The step builds on earlier work. In 2024, e& UAE became the first operator in the Middle East and Africa to bring Ericsson’s 5G Standalone RedCap into a commercial network. eRedCap extends that effort to an even lower cost and power tier.
Abdulrahman Al Humaidan, Senior Vice President, Access Network Development at e& UAE, said eRedCap brings everyday IoT applications into the 5G era at the right cost, power, and coverage. He said proving the capability on a live commercial network gives utilities, manufacturers, logistics providers, and smart-city operators a credible path to scale connected devices and prepare for the shift beyond LTE. e& UAE’s eRedCap live network test points beyond a single demo.
The practical gain is fewer parallel networks to run. Firms can move more IoT use cases onto 5G Standalone instead of keeping separate paths for high-performance 5G and LTE-based devices. That can simplify how devices are managed over their lifetime and tighten security across large fleets. It also supports the long-term reuse of LTE spectrum, since not every device would need full 5G hardware to make the move. The eRedCap live network test gives that transition an early proof point on a working network.
