• Pneumonitor has connected an in-pen livestock monitoring device to Boldyn Networks' existing private 5G infrastructure in West Sussex using 5G RedCap
  • The deployment tests whether the same private network can support simpler, lower-power IoT devices alongside applications requiring fuller 5G capabilities

The fact

Boldyn Networks and West Sussex County Council have connected a Pneumonitor livestock sensor to the Growing Sussex private 5G network using 5G Reduced Capability, or RedCap. The device measures temperature, humidity and air quality inside livestock pens and sends the readings over the network for near-real-time monitoring.

The private 5G infrastructure itself is not new. Boldyn and the council announced four Growing Sussex networks in 2024, with all four partner sites live by December 2025. The Pneumonitor integration adds a new class of device to that infrastructure. RedCap is designed for connected equipment that does not need the bandwidth or complexity of full 5G. Boldyn says it can reduce power and battery requirements and extend device life, although the project has not disclosed the number of sensors connected, measured battery life or operating-cost savings.

The assessment

RedCap gives an existing private 5G network a way to connect devices that need reliable cellular connectivity without the capabilities of a full 5G modem. That matters for sensors such as Pneumonitor, which send relatively small amounts of data but may need to operate for long periods with limited maintenance.

The West Sussex deployment therefore tests more than livestock monitoring. Boldyn already has the private network in place; the question is whether it can add simpler IoT devices without creating a separate connectivity layer for them. The project has not yet shown whether that reduces device or operating costs in practice.

For BTW readers, RedCap could broaden what operators can connect to private 5G infrastructure already in the field. The evidence will be whether more low-bandwidth devices are added without substantially increasing network complexity or maintenance.

What to watch

Watch how many Pneumonitor devices are connected and whether deployment extends to more Growing Sussex sites. Measured battery life, maintenance requirements and device costs would show whether RedCap's claimed advantages appear in practice. Further RedCap applications on the same private network would provide stronger evidence that the technology is widening its usable device base.