LTE-M VS. NB-IoT
LTE-M and NB-IoT are two new Low-Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies designed for IoT applications. Both are low-bandwidth cellular communications protocols that connect to internet devices that require small amounts of data to be sent at a low cost and with longer battery life.
What is LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines)?
LTE-M (also known as LTE-MTC or LTE Cat M) is an LPWAN technology that allows an LTE-installed base to be reused with increased coverage. LTE M, or LTE-Machine Type Communication (MTC), is an LPWAN technology developed by the 3GPP to enable devices and services tailored to IoT applications.
For 3GPP Release 13, LTE-M delivers data throughput of 1 Mbps, increasing to 4 Mbps for Release 14, allowing for better mobility and speech functionality across the network.
How Does LTE-M Work?
In actuality, LTE-M is the industry term for the 3GPP-published LTE (Long Term Evolution, or simply 4G) Category M1 standard from 2016. (Release 13). It's a cellular communication standard for connecting resource-constrained devices to the Internet that provides modest amounts of data over long periods of time while maintaining high signal penetration and low power usage. With the release of 3GPP Release 14, the standard's data rate increased to 4Mbps, resulting in increased network mobility and speech capacity over the previous 1Mbps version.
Advantages of LTE-M
Wider Coverage
LTE-M enables you to function in difficult environments such as under manhole covers, underground pipelines, car parks, basements, and other remote areas. It can be used for both stationary and mobile applications.
Lower Costs
LTE-M-enabled IoT devices are both affordable to manufacture and purchase. They're also less expensive to scale up. Longer battery life eliminates the need for an external power supply, while fewer onsite visits minimize maintenance expenses.
Enhanced security and reliability
With carrier-grade security, LTE-M networks are safe and dependable. Because LTE-M uses a licensed spectrum, devices are not subject to radio interference or congestion, which is a danger that unlicensed LPWA technologies face because the radio environment is uncontrolled.
Future Proof
LTE-M is a 3GPP (Third Generation Partner Project) standard that is not manufacturer or operator-dependent. Rather, it is backed by a number of service providers as well as hardware manufacturers around the world. As the 5G standard develops, LTE-M is expected to become a part of it, ensuring that it will be supported for a long time.
What is NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT)?
NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT) is a radio technology for indoor coverage, low cost, extended battery life, and a high number of devices that are deployed using mobile networks. In Release 13 of the 3GPP standard, NB-IoT confines bandwidth to a single narrow band of 200 kHz, with peak downlink speeds of 26 kbps. This will be increased to 127kbps in Release 14.
How does NB-IoT work?
The NB-IoT standard is a data transmission standard that allows devices to communicate with mobile carrier networks. NB-IoT technology communicates with current GSM and LTE networks via low-bandwidth signals.
The basic components of NB-IoT systems are specially developed devices and sensors. These devices gather data from their environment and send it to NB-IoT base stations or transmission nodes. For centralized monitoring and data processing, each base station is connected to an IoT gateway and IoT cloud application servers.
NB-IoT uses a new physical layer with signals and channels to address the needs of wider coverage in rural regions and deep inside while keeping device complexity to a minimum. Unlike GSM/GPRS modules, the underlying technology is substantially simpler.
NB-IoT can coexist alongside 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile networks, as it is supported by all major mobile equipment, chipset, and module vendors.
Benefits of NB-IoT
Ubiquitous Coverage and Connectivity
By developing NB-IoT networks that can link to billions of nodes, NB-IoT can help support vast numbers of devices. The devices are designed for longer indoor coverage, and their lower complexity allows for long-range connectivity and communication.
Low power consumption
NB-IoT does not require a powerful operating system like Linux or extensive signal processing, making it more power-efficient than other cellular technologies.
Low Cost of Devices
The cost of the devices is substantially lower, at around $5 per module, because it is easier to manufacture devices with reduced complexity.
Multiyear Battery Life
The increased power consumption capability allows NB-IoT to accommodate devices with multi-year battery life.
Security
NB-IoT is safe in the same way that 4G is, with full encryption and SIM-based authentication.
LTE-M vs NB-IoT
The properties of LTE-M and NB-IoT are compared in the table below. The most significant differences are bandwidth and voice support, but the differences are likely to be minor for IoT device makers. NB-IoT may use somewhat less electricity and require slightly less complicated hardware.
LTE-M Coverage
In challenging conditions, LTE-M provides deeper and wider coverage, allowing IoT devices that were previously unreachable to be connected.
Did you know that Telna boasts the world's largest LTE-M coverage? Staying connected is effortless no matter where you are, thanks to our six geo-located points of presence and coverage in over 200 countries and territories.
NB-IoT Coverage
Using EMnify's NB-IoT coverage, connect a huge number of low-cost IoT devices — underground, indoors, across the countryside, and in remote places.
While NB-IoT has specific advantages for low-bandwidth IoT applications, it's also critical to understand the present status and maturity of the technology to make an informed connectivity selection.
NB-IoT roaming is currently limited, and only a few network operators have enabled global IoT deployments with multi-network NB-IoT connectivity. One reason for this is that operators are shifting from a volume-based intercarrier billing model to one that includes base pricing per device.
LTE-M and NB-IoT differences in Coverage
Both LTE-M and NB-IoT are two new network technologies based on mobile (cellular) technology that is approaching the market, both designed to be especially suitable for enabling worldwide IoT connectivity.
LTE-M and NB-IoT are two viable connectivity solutions for enterprises wishing to make use of LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Networks) technology, which extends device battery life and links previously unconnected equipment. Both are currently available, standardized, and built on the 4G network, which means they are future-proof, have worldwide network coverage, and are backed by GSMA and telecom standards.
The choice of connectivity technology must be considered early in the process because connectivity is such an important aspect of product design and performance. Given the rapid pace of technological and market growth, this is a difficult decision.
5G technologies are on the horizon, 2G and 3G networks are being phased out, and new network technologies that allow LPWAN, such as LTE-M and NB-IoT – commonly known as Mobile IoT – are starting to become internationally available.
LTE-M Speed
LTE-M isn't extremely fast when compared to LTE. However, when compared to previous networks like 2G and 3G (UMTS) and other LPWANs, 1 megabit per second for uplink and downlink transmissions is extraordinary. (It's a lot faster than Narrowband IoT.) And for most IoT applications, that's more than enough. It's suitable for low-data-requirement applications and even video-streaming scenarios.
High data speeds in the context of IoT mean that devices employing LTE-M may easily get updates over the air (OTA), and data transmissions waste less power because the device can return to Power Saving Mode faster.
NB-IoT Speed
NB-IoT offers a minimum channel bandwidth of 3.75 kHz and can function across a system bandwidth as low as 200 kHz. This results in unrivaled spectrum flexibility and system capacity, as well as features like energy efficiency and ultra-low device complexity.
LTE-M and NB-IoT differences in Speed
Important note before we begin: don't just look at features and technical specifications to determine which LPWAN or, more broadly, communication standards for IoT best meet your objectives and if NB-IoT is right for your project. Also, be wary of the sources of the material you're looking for, as commercial interests are prevalent nowadays.
Contact a reputable partner for the region(s) you want to cover with your application at all times. Theoretical possibilities and maxima are frequently used to describe features, without taking into account how your application is set up.
This is especially true when it comes to speeds and battery life (there are several ways to save energy, but some might not fit your case). Connectivity is part of a bigger picture, and the network's stability, quality, and management, as well as your potential partner's future and ecosystem of partners, are all important.
There's a good chance you've previously collaborated on other projects with a partner from the ecosystem of operators or connection providers. The success of your project and the business case are both critical.
Differences in power consumption between LTE-M and NB-IoT
Cellular networks were created to allow cell phones to connect spontaneously. They ping cellular devices all the time to get location data, which helps keep the phone linked to the nearest towers and base stations. The battery is depleted by these Tracking Area Updates (TAUs).
However, unlike cell phones, most IoT devices do not require cellular networks. They send or receive tiny data packets regularly or in response to specified triggers (such as an alarm system sensor), so the batteries must last much longer.
Due to a power amplifier efficiency of roughly 37%, the two devices consume 710–840 mW when transmitting at 23 dBm, according to the measurements. Discontinuous reception and Power Save Mode sleep states consume 21–23 mW and 14–35 uW, respectively, while receiving control and data channels consume 210–240 mW.
Power consumption levels are higher on average than predicted by 3GPP, and we estimate that the battery life of these first-generation devices is 21–85 percent shorter.
Differences in Deployment: LTE-M and NB-IoT deployment differences
NB-IoT is compatible with both 2G (GSM) and 4G (LTE) networks, whereas LTE-M is only compatible with 4G. On the other hand, LTE-M is backward compatible with existing LTE networks, but NB-IoT employs DSSS modulation, which necessitates special hardware. Both are expected to be available on 5G networks.
NB-IoT can be installed in unused resource blocks within an LTE carrier's guard-band, or standalone for deployments in a dedicated spectrum, unlike eMTC, which can only be implemented in-band, utilizing resource blocks within a standard LTE carrier. NB-IoT has the same requirements as MTC, except it focuses on low-end huge MTC applications.
An NB-IoT frequency is assigned to a portion of an LTE carrier frequency. This is usually done by the service provider, and IoT devices are set up accordingly. This gives LTE, WCDMA, and GSM installations more flexibility. This enables the deployment of up to 200,000 devices per cell in theory.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, LTE-M and NB-IoT are critical for connecting a variety of IoT devices. For the same reasons, LTE-M reduced the channel width to 1.4 MHz, while NB-IoT cut it even further to 180 kHz, resulting in significant cost and power savings.
Regardless of the variations, NB-IoT uses the same subcarrier spacing and symbol duration as OFDMA (downlink) and SC-FDMA (uplink) multiplexing. This gives mobile service providers a variety of deployment choices for GSM, WCDMA, and LTE spectrum, allowing them to optimize their spectrum.