Standardised by 3GPP, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a low power wide area (LPWA) technology that can enable a wide range of new IoT devices and services. NB-IoT minimises the power consumption of connected devices, while increasing system capacity and spectral efficiency, especially in locations that can’t easily be covered by conventional cellular technologies. In a wide range of use cases, NB-IoT connected devices can have a battery life of more than 10 years.
NB-IoT employs a new physical layer with signals and channels to meet the demanding requirements of extended coverage in rural areas and deep indoors, while enabling very low device complexity. The underlying technology is much simpler than that of GSM/GPRS modules, and the cost of NB-IoT modules is likely to decrease rapidly as demand increases.
Supported by all major mobile equipment, chipset and module manufacturers, NB-IoT can co-exist with 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile networks. It also benefits from all the security and privacy features of mobile networks, such as support for user identity confidentiality, entity authentication, data integrity, and mobile equipment identification.
Many different operators are rolling out NB-IoT services in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe, with commercial launches now underway. China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, KT, NOS, TDC, Telefónica, Telia and Vodafone are among the operators to be deploying NB-IoT, having piloted the technology across a wide range of use cases, such as smart metering, smart parking and smart agriculture, which all require large numbers of low cost and low maintenance connected devices.
The GSMA NB-IoT Forum
Working on behalf of the mobile industry and wider ecosystem stakeholders, the GSMA NB-IoT Forum aims to accelerate the widespread adoption of 3GPP-based NB-IoT technology. The Forum Chair is Luke Ibbetson, Vodafone Group, and the Vice-Chairs are Madame Huang Yuhong of China Mobile, Daniel Herb of T-Mobile US and Jens Olejak of Deutsche Telekom.
Discover more about how NB-IoT is being used for:
NB-IoT Resources
5G in IoT and the Impact of COVID-19
Wednesday 17 Jun 2020 | 5G | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
Dr Shane Rooney, Executive Director, IoT Networks at the GSMA, and Mark Thirman, CEO at dotIoT LLC and Chair at the MIT Connected Things Conference, discuss the role and benefits of Mobile IoT technology, what 5G means for IoT, and the impact of COVID-19.
Leveraging the SIM for Secure E2E IP Connections: IoT Security Pt. 2 (Mobile IoT Developer Guides)
Tuesday 10 Mar 2020 | Both Technologies | IoT Security | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
Ian Smith, IoT Security Lead at the GSMA, demonstrates how to leverage the SIM to establish secure end-to-end IP connections between IoT devices and the cloud.
Customising and Locking Down IoT Connectivity: IoT Security Pt. 1 (Mobile IoT Developer Guides)
Monday 9 Mar 2020 | Both Technologies | IoT Security | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
Ian Smith, IoT Security Lead at the GSMA, shows how easy it can be to customise and ‘lock down’ IoT network connectivity to reduce the attack surfaces of IoT services.
Getting Started with NB-IoT: Part 2 (Mobile IoT Developer Guides)
Tuesday 3 Mar 2020 | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | NB-IoT | Resources |
Steve Doyle, Principal Technical Architect at the GSMA, looks at the communication capabilities for sending data between the module and a server, and the operation of power saving mode, using Quectel’s BC66 module and Vodafone’s NB-IoT network.
Getting Started with NB-IoT: Part 1 (Mobile IoT Developer Guides)
Tuesday 21 Jan 2020 | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | NB-IoT | Resources |
Steve Doyle, Principal Technical Architect at the GSMA, provides an introduction to developing IoT solutions with NB-IoT using Quecel’s BC66 module and Vodafone’s NB-IoT network.
Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers – Part 3: Prototype to Production
Monday 25 Nov 2019 | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
The GSMA has collaborated with NimbeLink to create a 3-Part Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers. In the series, NimbeLink will walk you through some of the things you need to know before adding LTE or cellular connectivity to your IoT product.
Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers – Part 2: Cellular Hardware Considerations
Sunday 24 Nov 2019 | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
The GSMA has collaborated with NimbeLink to create a 3-Part Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers. In the series, NimbeLink will walk you through some of the things you need to know before adding LTE or cellular connectivity to your IoT product.
Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers – Part 1: Technology Overview
Saturday 23 Nov 2019 | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
The GSMA has collaborated with NimbeLink to create a 3-Part Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers. In the series, NimbeLink will walk you through some of the things you need to know before adding LTE or cellular connectivity to your IoT product.
Deploying Compact-Size IoT Ring on Mobile IoT Networks – Sierra Wireless & Nimb
Wednesday 20 Mar 2019 | MIoT Sectors Wearables | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT |
Nicolas Damour, Director of Technology Partnerships at Sierra Wireless shares how Sierra Wireless IoT modules are enabling compact-size IoT ...
Development Guide: NB-IoT for Agriculture
Friday 5 Oct 2018 | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Mobile IoT Initiative | NB-IoT | Resources |
The GSMA Internet of Things programme is an initiative to help mobile operators add value and accelerate the delivery of new connected devices and services in the IoT. This is to be achieved by industry collaboration, appropriate ...
