https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/narrowband-IoT-NB-IoT
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a wireless internet of things (IoT) standard that uses low-power wide area network (LPWAN) technology. It was developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for connecting IoT devices to established mobile networks. NB-IoT is one of the three main 3GPP LPWAN standards.
NB-IoT enables small amounts of infrequent two-way data transmissions between devices and a network, making it ideal for a wide range of devices and services that are low-bandwidth and that have long-life use cases. The NB-IoT communication standard lets IoT devices operate via carrier networks, either within an existing Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) carrier wave, in an unused guard band between Long-Term Evolution (LTE) channels or independently.
One of the goals of NB-IoT is to boost the coverage extension beyond what existing cellular technologies offer. To do that, NB-IoT offers transmission repetitions and different bandwidth allocation configurations in uplink transmission.
NB-IoT can enable a broad range of new IoT devices and services. It reduces the power consumption of connected devices while increasing system capacity and bandwidth efficiency, particularly in locations that are not easily covered by traditional cellular technologies. NB-IoT-connected devices can have a battery life of more than 10 years for many use cases.
NB-IoT is a data transmission standard designed to enable devices to operate in mobile carrier networks. It uses low-bandwidth signals to communicate within existing LTE and GSM technologies. The NB-IoT standard uses a small radio band of 180 kilohertz (kHz), specifically designed to support IoT use cases.
Specially designed devices and sensors are also used as basic components in NB-IoT systems. These devices collect information from their surroundings and transmit it to NB-IoT base stations or transmission nodes. Individual base stations are connected to an IoT gateway and IoT cloud application servers for centralized monitoring and data analysis.
NB-IoT employs a new physical layer with signals and channels to meet the requirements of extended coverage in rural areas and deep indoors while enabling low device complexity. The underlying technology is much less complex than that of GSM/General Packet Radio Services modules.
Supported by all major mobile equipment, chipset and module manufacturers, NB-IoT can exist along with second-generation wireless technology (2G), 3G, 4G, Long-Term Evolution-M (LTE-M) and 5G mobile networks.
NB-IoT offers the following benefits:
There are still a few barriers to using NB-IoT, however, including the following:
NB-IoT can be used for the following applications:
NB-IoT is like several other LPWAN technologies in terms of purpose and implementation, including the following:
NB-IoT and LTE-M, also called category M1 or Cat-M1, are the two major LPWAN technologies that support massive IoT deployments. While they are both 3GPP-standardized technologies, they address different types of use cases based on their strengths.
NB-IoT supports ultra-low complexity devices with a narrow bandwidth of 180 kHz. Because of its narrow bandwidth, the data rate peaks at about 26 Kbps in downlink and approximately 66 Kbps for uplink. NB-IoT uses a subset of LTE's OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) modulation/SC‑FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) for downlink and uplink communications for connectivity versus LTE spread technology. NB-IoT can also be implemented in an LTE carrier's guard band.
LTE-M, on the other hand, operates at 1.4 megahertz (MHz) bandwidth with higher device complexity and at a greater cost than NB-IoT. However, with the wider bandwidth, LTE-M can achieve lower latency, data rates up to 1 megabit per second and more accurate device positioning capabilities. LTE-M also provides extended coverage and enables the reuse of the LTE installed base.
LTE-M deployment can be done in-band within a standard LTE carrier or standalone in a dedicated spectrum. It uses the free LTE spread spectrum technology. Device manufacturers that want to deploy on current cellular networks can use LTE-M.
NB-IoT is extremely flexible. It can operate in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G bands, and it removes the need for a gateway, which ultimately saves money.
NB-IoT and LTE-M devices can sleep for extended periods of time with extended discontinuous reception, a method used in mobile communication to conserve a mobile device's battery life. Both NB-IoT and LTE-M also support enhanced signal coverage per base station.
LTE-M, however, is more expensive because several large carriers have patents on the underlying technologies, and LTE-M users pay royalties to these companies for their intellectual property.
Long-range (LoRa) WAN technology is a noncellular modulation technology for LoRaWAN, the standard protocol for WAN communications.
LoRa is a low-power, long-range wireless communication protocol developed by the LoRa Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to standardizing LPWAN technologies as a secure, energy-efficient IoT standard.
LoRa is a modulation technology for LoRaWAN, an LPWAN specification intended for long-range communications. LoRa and NB-IoT both operate within LPWAN technology.
Although NB-IoT and LoRa are both LPWAN technologies created for low-power devices, NB-IoT -- depending on its configuration -- generally has a lower latency compared to LoRa. This is because of the higher device output power, which can offer higher data rates.
NB-IoT operates in the licensed spectrum. However, it can be deployed in-band within a normal LTE carrier or standalone for deployments in a dedicated spectrum. Because the channel width is small, the NB-IoT signal can bury itself inside a larger LTE channel, replace a GSM channel or exist in the guard channels of regular LTE signals.
LoRaWAN is a spread spectrum modulation technique designed to facilitate communication between low-power devices and IoT applications. The LoRa wireless system uses unlicensed frequencies available worldwide to communicate with a network. LoRaWAN also uses radio frequency bands between 433 MHz and 928 MHz. Its peak data rate is 50 Kbps per channel and has bandwidths of 125 kHz, 250 kHz and 500 kHz.
Sigfox is a proprietary LPWAN that uses an unlicensed spectrum of 100 Hz channels ranging from 868 MHz to 915 MHz. The maximum data rate is 100-600 bits per second. It can only handle very small 12-byte uplink and 8-byte downlink communications.
Sigfox is designed to support very small payloads and is ideal for very low-frequency sensors and static applications. It does not offer standardized roaming and only has minimal two‑way messaging. NB-IoT, comparatively, works off a licensed spectrum, is more expensive and is designed for larger payloads.
The future of NB-IoT as a technology is currently mixed. It has room to grow as it integrates with 5G systems, is deployed in smart cities and other applications, and fits with pushes for energy efficiency and environmental monitoring use cases.
Although NB-IoT has been strongly adopted in regions like Europe and Asia, and particularly China, its adoption might be waning in other areas. U.S. operator AT&T discontinued its NB-IoT network in the first quarter of 2025, in favor of its LTE-M network -- which provides more data capacity for fixed and mobile devices. However, other major providers in the U.S., like Verizon and T-Mobile, continue to support the technology, and China accounted for 84% of all NB-IoT connections globally in 2023.
Despite its mixed potential future, NB-IoT still has many use cases. Learn how it is being used in large healthcare applications.
31 Jul 2025