5G RedCap networks worldwide
As of March 2026, 42 operators in 27 markets were investing in RedCap and 14 had launched it commercially, in China, the US, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Spain, the UAE, Australia, Kuwait and the Philippines. Twelve markets, including the UK, South Korea, India and Saudi Arabia, are still in trials, and Rogers is deploying it in Canada. RedCap works only where the operator runs 5G SA.1
- Cheaper, lower-power eRedCap devices are expected later in 2026.2
- Apple’s Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 (autumn 2025) use 5G RedCap, bringing it to consumers; Omdia expects close to a billion RedCap and eRedCap connections by 2030, about a fifth of cellular IoT.3
- 95 operators have launched 5G SA, which RedCap and network slicing need.4
Launches, deployments and trials
| Market | Operators | Status |
|---|---|---|
| China | China Mobile · China Telecom · China Unicom | Commercial |
| United States | T-Mobile · AT&T | Commercial |
| Germany | Telefónica · Deutsche Telekom | Commercial |
| Kuwait | stc | Commercial |
| Japan | SoftBank | Commercial |
| Spain | MasOrange | Commercial |
| United Arab Emirates | e& | Commercial |
| Philippines | Dito | Commercial |
| Australia | Optus | Commercial |
| Singapore | M1 | Commercial |
| Canada | Rogers (incl. Fido) | Deploying |
| Bahrain | — | Trials |
| Czechia | — | Trials |
| Finland | — | Trials |
| India | — | Trials |
| Indonesia | — | Trials |
| Malaysia | — | Trials |
| Oman | — | Trials |
| Saudi Arabia | — | Trials |
| South Korea | — | Trials |
| Thailand | — | Trials |
| Türkiye | — | Trials |
| United Kingdom | — | Trials |
What it means for your device
A RedCap device needs three things: commercial RedCap, 5G SA, and 5G bands that match the operator’s. Using our band and network data, the F40’s 5G RedCap works on: AT&T United States (n5); T-Mobile United States (n41); China Mobile China (n41, n28); China Telecom China (n78, n1); China Unicom China (n78, n1); Deutsche Telekom Germany (n1, n78); O2 Telefónica Germany (n28, n78); e& (Etisalat) United Arab Emirates (n78); MasOrange Spain (n1, n3, n28, n78); Optus Australia (n78). US certification is arranged to match shipments.
Sources
- B 5G RedCap – April 2026 (42 operators in 27 markets; 14 commercial launches) GSA · 2026-04
- B 5G RedCap edges closer to reality (eRedCap devices later in 2026) Connectivity Technology · 2026-04
- B RedCap momentum: Apple Watch, eRedCap, Omdia forecast of ~1 billion connections by 2030 Private LTE & 5G · 2026
- B Viewpoint: 5G RedCap – accelerating the next phase of cellular IoT GSA · 2026-04
