About 4G/5G communication standards

When selecting a communication module, it is necessary to comprehensively consider multiple factors such as "data volume," "power consumption," and "supported carriers."

✔ Which communication standard is suitable for the application?
✔ How should we view future changes in communication standards (end of 3G, transition to 5G)?
✔ Availability and authentication status in Japan

This is a point that many people find confusing, especially during the initial planning stages.

Please use the comparison table below when considering each communication module.

• If you want to keep data usage low and reduce BOM costs: Please consider LTE Cat. M or NB-IoT type.
LTE Cat. M, also known as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), enables BOM cost reduction and low power consumption for long-distance communication.
NB-IoT (Narrow Band IoT) enables communication with a narrow bandwidth of approximately 200kHz, resulting in lower power consumption and BOM costs compared to Cat. M1, although it is slower.

• "For cases requiring high-capacity communication": LTE-Advanced (Cat. 6-16) supports carrier aggregation (CA), which combines two frequency bands to achieve high communication capacity. For those who require even higher communication capacity, lower latency, and simultaneous multiple connections, please consider 5G products.

Table: Comparison of various communication standards (based on performance of Quectel products)

* Cat.: Abbreviation for LTE Category, an index showing 4G performance * Rel.: Abbreviation for Release, 3GPP mobile communication standard

* DL/UL: Down link (downlink)/Up link (uplink) * MIMO: Abbreviation for Multi Input Multi Output, a communication technology using multiple antennas

Cat. M1/NB-IoT

>Detailed specification information (BG95-M5/6) *Products listed are JATE/TELEC certified.

BG95-M5/6 [Qualcomm MDM9205]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank,1/Rakuten'1 )

BG770A-GL

(docomo/KDDI/Rakuten) 

BG950/951A-GL

(docomo/KDDI*)

Cat.M / NB-IoT is a standard suitable for low-power, low-data-transaction applications, but there are different points to consider depending on the application, such as communication speed, supported carriers, and future expandability.

If you're unsure whether Cat.M or NB-IoT is more suitable, we can offer suggestions based on your specific application requirements.

Cat. 1

>Detailed specifications *Products listed are JATE/TELEC certified.

EC21-J/EC21-J 

[Qualcomm MDM9307]  

(docomo/KDDI) *Mini PCIe also available

EG91-JP [Qualcomm MDM9207]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank*)

Cat. 1 bis

>Detailed specifications *Products listed are JATE/TELEC certified.

EG915Q-JP [Qualcomm QCX216]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank*)

EG916Q-GL [Qualcomm QCX216]

Cat. 4

>Detailed specifications *Products listed are JATE/TELEC certified.

EC25-J [Qualcomm MDM9207]  

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank/Rakuten)　

*Mini PCIe also available

EG95-JP [Qualcomm MDM9307]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank)

EM05-G [Qualcomm MDM9207]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank)

Cat. 6(LTE-Advanced)

>Detailed specifications*Products listed are JATE/TELEC certified.

EM060K [Qualcomm SDX12]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank,2)

Cat. 12(LTE-Advanced)

>Detailed specifications*Products listed are JATE/TELEC certified.

EM12-G [Qualcomm SDX20]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank,2)

EM120K-GL [Qualcomm SDX12]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank,2)

EM120R-GL [Qualcomm SDX24]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank,2/Rakuten)

Cat. 16(LTE-Advanced) / 5G

>Cat. 16 product spec details

>Detailed 5G product specifications

*The products listed are JATE/TELEC certified.

EM160R-GL [Qualcomm SDX24]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank,2/Rakuten)

RM520N-GL [Qualcomm SDX62]

(docomo/KDDI/SoftBank,2）

*The "Product name [Qualcomm chipset name] (carrier interoperability test acquisition status)" is listed under each product image as of March 2025.

​* Quectel is currently considering acquiring

* 1: Only compatible with BG95-M6

*2: Only compatible with PC products

Introduction of various evaluation boards

We also have various evaluation boards available. Please utilize them when considering actual device evaluation or pre-verification.

We can also assist you with selecting the products to be evaluated and determining the best combination of evaluation boards and antennas.

UMTS & LTE EVB

Mini PCIe EVB

5G M2 EVB

Compatible antenna products

We also have a list of antennas for various modules and Quectel antenna products available.

Please contact us regarding the communication module product you require.

Related technical information page

What is Cat. 1 bis?
-Cat. 1 equivalent LTE communication with a single antenna-

Quectel Communication Module Connection Guide

Quectel Communication Module HTTPS Connection Guide

Quectel Communication Module MQTT Connection Guide

GNSS high-precision positioning × LTE Cat. 1 bis implementation
Hands-on seminar to be held! (2026/6/26)

Inquiry / Quotation

Even in the initial stages of product selection, we can assist you with questions such as, "I'm not sure which standard is best for this application."

Please feel free to contact us regarding mass production considerations, evaluation applications, and future changes to communication methods.