NB-IoT and IoT – basics
Narrowband IoT – definition and characteristics
Narrowband is a colloquial term for low data transmission speed. The opposite of narrowband is broadband- high data transmission speed.
Narrowband IoT is a radio technology developed specifically for the Internet of Things and is being promoted by companies such as Deutsche Telekom. It is characterized by the following features:
- Low bandwidth
- High building penetration
- Low energy requirements
- Wide range
With these characteristics, NB-IoT belongs to the so-called Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies. The basis for the technology is the 3GPP standard (3rd Generation Partnership Project). Such as LTE-M, NB-IoT uses the licensed frequency spectrum, or more precisely, the LTE network. This means it can be used with existing infrastructure.