IoT Wireless Technologies

This topic describes the wireless technologies designed for use with IoT devices:

• LTE-M
• NB-IoT

For more information about selecting the best wireless technology for your IoT device, see the LoRa or Cellular for IoT blog post.

LTE-M / LTE Cat-M

LTE-M is an IoT-specific radio access technology that utilises existing LTE infrastructure to support IoT devices and their specific use cases, including:

• Low power consumption – supporting eDRX and PSM power-saving features
• Long range – up to 10-15km
• Low data rates – maximum of 1Mbps (for CAT-M1 devices)

Although LTE-M doesn’t provide the same battery life length as NB-IoT, it offers a higher bandwidth which can support higher data rates.

For more information about connecting your module to an LTE-M network, see:

• How to connect a Quectel BG95 module to a cellular network using an Eseye SIM
• How to connect a Quectel module to a cellular network using an Eseye SIM
• How to connect a Nordic nRF9160 modem to a cellular network using an Eseye SIM

NB-IoT

Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is a radio access technology that utilises narrow frequency ranges (180kHz) in existing LTE radio bands to provide features and services that are optimised for IoT devices. This includes:

• Lower power requirements (utilising eDRX and PSM power-saving features)
• Lower data rates

For more information, see 3GPP Release 13 specifications.