What is NB-IoT

NB-IoT (NarrowBand Internet of Things)is a communication technology that realizes network connection ofmanyIoT(Internet of Things) terminals with "low power consumption".

Conventional mobile phone networks andWi-Fican handle large amounts of data at high speed, but theywere not suitable forconnectingsmall, low-power devices such asIoT devices.

LPWA standards such as NB-IoT areslow but suitable for applications that require "low power consumption". In addition, simultaneous network connection of many smallIoT terminalsis possible.

-Key Advantages ofNB-IoT

・Low power consumption (long battery life)

・Long distance communication

・Simultaneous connection of manyIoTdevices

Differences between NB-IoT and LTE-M

In addition to NB-IoT, there isa similar standard, LTE-M. Both areLPWA-related technologies that enable long-distance communication with low power consumption, buteach technology has some differences.

Feature comparison table

■ Supported bandwidth and data speed: 

LTE-M teeth1.4MHzbandwidth of up to 1Mbps data rate ofwith NB-IoTteeth200kHzMax with bandwidth below 250kbps ofdata ratecorrespondenceTo do. LTE-M is therefore NB-IoT Data transfer speed is faster than

■ Coverage:

LTE-M supports handover and allows movement between cells. NB-IoT has a lower frequency band than Cat. M, so relatively long distance communication is possible.

　　　

■ Power management:

NB-IoTconsumes less power than LTE-M, which contributes to longer battery life.

　　　　　　　　　　    　

■ Use case:

NB-IoT transmits and receives small amounts of data at a fixed point and is suitable for products that require long-term operation (long battery life).Therefore,it is expected to be used in products such as smart meters, sensors, and tracking.

LTE-M has similar use cases to NB-IoT.is also envisioned.butWhen handover, FOTA, etc. are essential, and communication speedbutnot enoughLTE-M is suitable for such use cases.

■ Cost:

Compared to LTE-M, NB-IoT has relatively low communication module product prices.
　

■ Supported carriers in Japan:

NB-IoT is supported by SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile. LTE-Mcan be used with 3 domestic carriers and MVNO in some cases.

■ Global support area:

NB-IoT currently supportsLTE-M-enabled North and South America, Australia and continental Europe, as well as South Africaand Asia. *Excluding some countries in each region　

NB-IoT / LTE-M (Cat. M1) compatible module

Cathay Tritech offers communication modules (manufactured by SIMCom) that support NB-IoT or LTE-M.

"SIM7080G" supports both Cat. M1 / NB-IoT, and "SIM7022" supports only NB-IoT.

You can check the detailed specifications on the product page below. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.

SIM7080G (Cat. M1 / NB-IoT compatible)

SIM7022 (NB-IoT compatible)

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