T-Mobile US claims 5G RedCap first…

T-Mobile US launched its first reduced-capacity (RedCap) 5G device, a device developed in collaboration with TCL that advances a strategy, said Ulf Ewaldsson, the operator’s president of technology Mobile World Live is an important element of his tactics for next-generation technology.

The TCL Linkport IK511 USB-C dongle will be available in T-Mobile stores today (October 17) and can be used to connect devices to the standalone (SA) 5G network. The operator named only Wi-Fi laptops and tablets as the main candidates and emphasized the potential to allow older devices to access novel services, including network slicing.

T-Mobile claimed the TCL Linkport IK511 is the first 5G RedCap device to launch in North America, targeting consumers and businesses alike.

Ewaldsson told it last week MWL 5G RedCap is a key element in its broader approach to next-generation technology as it drives T-Mobile’s rollout of a nationwide SA network.

T-Mobile is approaching 5G with low latency, low loss and scalable throughput (L4S) in focus, Ewaldsson said, with RedCap seen as a means to deliver affordable devices and modules.

The operator has set the price of the TCL Linkport IK511 at $96, with a “limited time” 50 percent discount for customers who add the device to an existing 5G plan. Airtime costs an additional $5 per month. The dongle runs on a Snapdragon X35 modem-RF system and offers peak data rates of 220 Mbps.

T-Mobile said the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform enables the dongle to offer VoNR and VoLTE, with the RedCap element contributing to better battery life and power efficiency.

John Saw, EVP and CTO at T-Mobile, said 5G RedCap “will transform the way consumers and businesses communicate with each other.”