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Cradlepoint5G & LTE Routers

Cradlepoint R980 5G Ruggedized Router with Wi-Fi 6 and 3-Year NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Essentials Plan

5GMPN TC03-R980-5GD-A
  • Wi-Fi 6
  • Dual SIM
  • eSIM
  • 2–4 × 1 Gb Ethernet
  • GPS/GNSS
  • Rugged
$1,152.97$1,260.00Save $107.03

In stockShips from the US

Included subscription · 3 years
1 year−$192.163 years5 years+$192.166 years+$673.99
Compliance · Standard
StandardTAA compliant
Region · Global
Global
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Datasheets & documents

Overview

The Cradlepoint R980 (TC03-R980-5GD-A) is a ruggedized 5G router for vehicles, rail and industrial IoT, bundled with a 3-year NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Essentials plan. It has an embedded 5G NR/Cat 19 LTE modem with network slicing, two 4FF SIM slots plus embedded eSIM hardware, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, two switchable Gigabit Ethernet ports, and active multi-constellation GNSS. The IP64 metal housing operates from -30 °C to 70 °C. This global SKU covers the U.S., Canada, EU, UK, Australia and New Zealand, and it ships without an AC power supply or antennas.

  • Embedded 5G NR FR1 and 4G LTE modem with SA/NSA support, LTE Cat 19 fallback, 4x4 MIMO and 3GPP Release 16
  • 5G network slicing with up to four DNN/PDN instances
  • Dual 4FF SIM slots plus embedded MFF2 eSIM hardware supporting up to eight carrier profiles
  • Dual-band, dual-concurrent 2x2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi 6 and 2 x GbE RJ45 ports (LAN/WAN switchable)
  • Active GNSS with concurrent GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou reception
  • IP64, Class I Div 2, E-Mark, SAE J1455, NFPA 130 and MIL-STD-810H shock/vibration certifications
  • 3-year NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Essentials plan with NetCloud Manager, 24x7 support and limited lifetime warranty during the subscription
  • Move video and telemetry off vehicles quickly with 5G peak rates of up to 3.4 Gbps down and 550 Mbps up (NSA)

The Ericsson Cradlepoint R980 is a ruggedized 5G router built for mobile, in-vehicle and IoT deployments where equipment has to cope with temperature extremes, vibration, dust and hazardous locations. This part number, TC03-R980-5GD-A, pairs the R980 hardware with a 3-year Ericsson NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Essentials plan. The plan includes NetCloud Manager cloud management and software updates for the full term, 24x7 support, and a limited lifetime warranty that stays in force while the subscription is active. The SKU is designated Global and covers the U.S., Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

The embedded 3GPP Release 16 modem supports 5G NR low- and mid-band in both standalone and non-standalone modes across 600 MHz to 6 GHz, with LTE Advanced Pro Category 19 fallback and 4x4 MIMO. Peak rates reach 3.4 Gbps downlink and 550 Mbps uplink on NSA. The router supports up to four network-slicing instances. Two 4FF SIM slots sit alongside MFF2 eSIM hardware that holds up to eight carrier profiles. The modem carries AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon certifications, along with FirstNet Trusted, T-Mobile T-Priority and Verizon Frontline public safety certifications. It also supports CBRS Band 48 for private cellular networks.

On the local side, the R980 provides two Gigabit Ethernet ports that switch between LAN and WAN, plus dual-band 2x2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi 6 that works as an access point, a wireless client or Wi-Fi as WAN. A screw-lock USB 2.0 port and an active GNSS receiver (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou) are also built in. A dual-core ARMv8 CPU runs Docker containers at the edge. Rated stateful firewall throughput is 940 Mbps.

The housing is rated IP64 and certified Class I Div 2, E-Mark, SAE J1455, NFPA 130 and MIL-STD-810H shock and vibration. The router runs on 9–36 VDC with ignition sensing. Antennas and an AC power supply are not included.

Ideal for

  • Public safety and first-responder vehicles that need priority access on FirstNet, T-Priority or Verizon Frontline
  • Light rail and transit rolling stock requiring NFPA 130 and BSS 7239 compliance
  • Utility, oil and gas, and industrial IoT sites in Class I Div 2 hazardous locations
  • Fleet telematics with GNSS location tracking and cellular coverage mapping
  • Private 5G/LTE and CBRS Band 48 deployments with edge container workloads

Specifications

Modem

3g
WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA+
SMS
Yes
eSIM
Up to eight carrier profiles
GNSS
Active GNSS — GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou
MIMO
4x4
3g Bands
1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 19
Antennas
SMA female connectors; external 600 MHz–6 GHz paddle antennas (not included)
Modulation
Up to 256 QAM DL / 256 QAM UL
Regulatory
FCC (U.S.), IC (Canada), CE (EU), RCM (AU/NZ), UKCA (UK)
Technology
5G NR low/mid-band and 4G LTE (600 MHz–6 GHz); 5G NSA and SA; LTE Cat 19 fallback; dual 4FF SIM; MFF2 eSIM; network slicing; 3GPP Release 16
5G NR Bands
n1 (2100), n2 (1900), n3 (1800), n5 (850), n7 (2600), n8 (900), n12 (700), n13 (746-756), n14 (758-768), n18 (860-875), n20 (800), n25 (1900), n26 (850), n28 (700), n29 (717-728), n30 (2300), n38 (2600), n40 (2300), n41 (2500), n48 (3500), n66 (1700/2100), n71 (600), n75 (1500), n76 (1427-1432), n77 (3700), n78 (3500), n79 (4900)
TX Power LTE
LTE TX Power: PC3 bands 23 dBm ± 2; PC2 bands 26 dBm ± 2 (typical conducted)
LTE Fdd Bands
B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (1700), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B12 (700), B13 (700), B14 (700), B17 (700), B18 (850), B19 (850), B20 (800), B25 (1900), B26 (850), B28 (700), B29 (700), B30 (2300), B32 (1500), B66 (1700), B71 (600)
LTE Tdd Bands
B34 (2000), B38 (2600), B39 (1900), B40 (2300), B41 (2500), B42 (3500), B43 (3700), B46 (5200), B48 (3500)
Peak Rates SA
Peak Rates (5G SA): DL up to 2.4 Gbps; UL up to 450 Mbps
Peak Rates LTE
DL up to 1.6 Gbps; UL up to 200 Mbps
Peak Rates Nsa
Peak Rates (5G NSA): DL up to 3.4 Gbps; UL up to 550 Mbps
TX Power 5G NR
5G NR TX Power: PC3 bands 23 dBm ± 2; PC1.5 bands 29 dBm ± 2 (typical conducted)
Network Slicing
Up to four DNN/PDN instances
Gcf Global Operators
globalcertificationforum.org member list
Carrier Aggregation Endc
Carrier Aggregation (LTE + 5G NR EN-DC): DL up to 4 CA LTE + 1 CA NR; UL up to 2 CA LTE + 2 CA NR
Private Cellular Network
Yes, includes FCC Part 96 (CBRS Band 48)
Network Operator Standards
PTCRB (U.S., Canada), GCF (Worldwide)
Carrier Aggregation LTE Only
DL up to 5 CA; UL up to 2 CA
Public Safety Certifications
Public Safety Network Certifications: ESN (4G), FirstNet Trusted™, T-Mobile Connecting Heroes, T-Mobile T-Priority, Verizon Frontline Verified, Verizon Frontline Network Slice
Ptcrb North America Operators
ptcrb.com
Carrier Aggregation 5G NR Only
DL up to 2 CA; UL 1 CA
Network Operator Certifications
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon

Power

DC Input
9–36 VDC (in-line fuse required for vehicle installations)
Features
ISO 7637-2 reverse polarity and transient protection; ignition sensing (auto ON, time-delay OFF)
Connector
4-pin 2x2 Molex micro-fit
Light Rail
24 VDC nominal
Consumption Idle
8 W
Consumption Heavy
13 W
Consumption Sleep
15 mW
Fuse Requirements
3 A for 9–24 VDC installations; 2 A for > 24 VDC installations
Consumption Typical
11 W

General

MPN
Manufacturer Part Number: TC03-R980-5GD-A
Brand
Cradlepoint (Ericsson Cradlepoint)
Model
Cradlepoint R980
Region
Global (U.S., Australia, Canada, EU, New Zealand, UK)
FIPS Model
No (standard model)
Plan Family
NetCloud Ruggedized IoT — Essentials
Service Plan
Included Plan: 3-Year NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Essentials Plan
Product Status
Manufacturer Status: Active
Subscription Term
3 years
Hardware Configuration
R980 Router with Wi-Fi (5G modem, 4FF SIM slots, embedded eSIM), no AC power supply or antennas

Package

Included
R980 router with Wi-Fi and 3-year NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Essentials plan
Not Included
AC power supply and antennas
Shipping Weight
2.28 lb

GNSS GPS

Power
2.9–3.15 VDC; max 100 mA
Accuracy
Autonomous 1 meter
Protocols
NMEA 0183, TAIP
Frequencies
L1
Sensitivity
Acquisition -148 dBm; Tracking -161 dBm; Cold start -146 dBm
Update Rate
1 Hz (once per second)
Constellations
GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou (concurrent reception)
Time TO First Fix
30 seconds (cold start)

Physical

Weight
601 g (1 lb 5.2 oz)
Dimensions
133.6 x 121.5 x 41 mm (5.26 x 4.78 x 1.61 in)

Interfaces

Wi-Fi
Dual-radio, dual-band concurrent (2.4/5 GHz); 2x2 MU-MIMO 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 with DFS
Modem
Embedded 5G NR FR1 and 4G LTE; 4 x SMA cellular antenna connectors; 2 x 4FF SIM slots; 1 x MFF2 eSIM
Ethernet
2 x GbE RJ45 (LAN/WAN switchable)
Expansion
1 x USB 2.0 Type A (5 V, 500 mA, 2.5 W) with screw lock for secure connections
Wi-Fi Modes
AP, Wireless Client, Wi-Fi as WAN
Wi-Fi Radio
Global Optimized Wi-Fi and International SDR
Wi-Fi Speed
574 Mbps (2.4 GHz), 1.2 Gbps (5 GHz)
Wi-Fi Roaming
802.11k, 802.11v
Wi-Fi Security
WPA/WPA2/WPA3 Personal, WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise, Open
GNSS Connector
GNSS/GPS: 1 x SMA GNSS antenna connector
Wi-Fi Certification
Wi-Fi Alliance Certified
Wi-Fi Antenna Connectors
2 x RP-SMA

Wi-Fi Power

IC
2.4 GHz 26.42 dBm; 5180–5250 MHz 16.48 dBm; 5250–5350 MHz 18.33 dBm; 5470–5725 MHz 22.17 dBm; 5725–5835 MHz 23.14 dBm (conducted)
Fcc
2.4 GHz 26.42 dBm; 5180–5250 MHz 21.63 dBm; 5250–5350 MHz 21.20 dBm; 5470–5725 MHz 22.17 dBm; 5725–5835 MHz 23.14 dBm (conducted)
Rcm
2.4 GHz 13.91 dBm; 5180–5250 MHz 18.04 dBm; 5250–5320 MHz 17.92 dBm; 5500–5700 MHz 21.48 dBm; 5725–5835 MHz 23.14 dBm (conducted)
CE Ukca
2.4 GHz 13.91 dBm; 5180–5250 MHz 18.04 dBm; 5250–5320 MHz 17.92 dBm; 5500–5700 MHz 21.48 dBm (conducted)

Performance

Vlans
Up to 64
Ipsec VPN
200 Mbps
Sase SD WAN
SASE/Secure Connect/SD-WAN: 85 Mbps
Stateful Firewall
940 Mbps
Typical Client Count
50
Ips Application Aware
940 Mbps
Concurrent VPN Tunnels
20
Concurrent Tcp Sessions
Concurrent Sessions (TCP): 32,000
Client Traffic Analytics
100 Mbps

Reliability

MTBF
1,407,191 hours (Telcordia SR332 at 25 °C)

Environmental

Storage Humidity
5% to 95%
Ingress Protection
IP64 (dust tight and splashing water)
Operating Humidity
10% to 95%
Storage Temperature
-40 °C to 85 °C (-40 °F to 185 °F)
Operating Temperature
-30 °C to 70 °C (-22 °F to 158 °F)

Certifications

Safety
UL/cUL, CB Scheme, EN 62368-1
Vehicle
E-Mark, SAE J1455
Security
FIPS 140-3 Level 1 module in process (R980 FIPS models only)
Fire Safety
NFPA 130
Shock Vibration
MIL-STD-810H 514.8 Annex C-1 Cat 4 (Vibration); 516.8 Procedure I and Procedure V (Shock)
Hazardous Locations
Class I Div 2
Flame Smoke Toxicity
BSS 7239
Substance Compliance
WEEE, RoHS, REACH, California Prop 65

Cloud Services

Support
Full subscription term (phone 24-hour weekdays + weekend emergency, web 24x7, chat 24x5)
Warranty
Limited lifetime warranty with an active NetCloud Service plan
Service Plans
NetCloud Service for Mobile, NetCloud Service for Ruggedized IoT
Service Add Ons
NetCloud Exchange, NetCloud Advanced
Software Updates
NetCloud Manager for the full subscription term
Device Management
NetCloud Manager for the full subscription term

Edge Computing

CPU
Dual-core ARMv8 64-bit
Memory
Up to 921 MB
Applications
Docker containerized applications
Flash Storage
Up to 8 GB

Product Summary

PoE
No
Wi-Fi
Dual-band, dual-concurrent 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
Category
Mobile, IoT
GPS GNSS
Active
5G Status
5G Embedded
Bluetooth
No
USB Ports
1
Throughput
940 Mbps (Firewall)
Form Factor
Ruggedized Metal
VPN Tunnels
20
Serial Ports
Yes — with adapter
Ethernet Ports
2 GbE (LAN/WAN switchable)
Cloud Management
Yes
Special Features
Container, SDK, Serial port with accessory cable
Dual Modem Support
Yes — with captive modem
Operating Temperature
-30 °C to 70 °C (-22 °F to 158 °F)
Wireless Connectivity
5G & Cat 19 LTE
Private Cellular Network
Yes – CBRS, 4G LTE, 5G
Network Operator Standards
PTCRB (U.S.), GCF (global)
Subscription Terms Available
1, 3 & 5 years

Questions buyers ask

What does part number TC03-R980-5GD-A include?

It includes the Cradlepoint R980 router with Wi-Fi, a 5G modem, two 4FF SIM slots and embedded eSIM hardware. It also includes a 3-year NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Essentials plan. An AC power supply and antennas are not included.

Does the R980 support 5G standalone and network slicing?

Yes. The embedded 3GPP Release 16 modem supports both 5G NSA and SA networks. It supports 5G network slicing with up to four DNN/PDN instances.

Which regions is this SKU intended for?

This SKU is designated Global, covering the U.S., Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. It carries FCC, IC, CE, RCM and UKCA regulatory approvals.

How is the R980 powered?

The R980 takes 9–36 VDC through a 4-pin 2x2 Molex micro-fit connector and includes ignition sensing. Vehicle installations require an in-line fuse: 3 A for 9–24 VDC and 2 A above 24 VDC. Typical power draw is 11 W.

What does the Essentials plan cover?

The plan covers NetCloud Manager device management and software updates for the full 3-year term. It also includes 24x7 support and a limited lifetime warranty while the subscription is active. A NetCloud Ruggedized IoT Advanced Plan can be added at any time.

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