Definition
NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) is a 3GPP-standardised LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) technology designed for IoT devices that require long battery life, good coverage, and low data rates. The standard operates in licensed frequency bands and reuses existing LTE infrastructure, making deployment relatively quick. In the energy sector, NB-IoT is the preferred replacement for GPRSPacket-switched mobile data standard (2.5G) used for remote reading of electricity meters. in new smart metering infrastructure. NB-IoT provides significantly better indoor coverage (up to 20 dB better than GPRS), consumes up to ten times less power, and supports battery operation for 10+ years. Telenor, Telia, and other Norwegian and Nordic network operators have rolled out NB-IoT coverage reaching >99% of the population. The downside is a lower data rate (200 kbps) and higher latency than 4G/5G, but for periodic meter reading this is fully sufficient.