Get a complete view of IoT connectivity in 2025 — from global availability of 4G, LPWA, and 5G RedCap to side-by-side comparisons of technologies by coverage, latency, bandwidth, and use cases. This infographic helps you evaluate options, plan deployments, and future-proof your IoT strategy. Download the PDF for all the details.
| Technology | Coverage | Throughput | Latency | Energy efficiency | Global availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NB-IoT | Very good (deep, indoor) | ~20 kbit/s | Poor | Very good | Available in most regions, adoption mostly in China |
| LTE-M | Very good | ~200 kbit/s+ | Good | Very good | Most EU & American markets; Australia |
| LTE Cat-1 / Cat-1 bis | Good | ~3 Mbit/s+ | Good | Good | Nearly universal |
| LTE Cat-4/4+ | Good | ~100 Mbit/s+ | Good | Poor | Nearly universal |
| 5G NSA | Good | ~300 Mbit/s+ | Very good | Poor | In most developed markets |
| 5G SA | Good | ~300 Mbit/s+ | Very good | Poor | Scaling in major APAC & US carriers |
| 5G RedCap | Good | ~10 Mbit/s+ | Very good | Very good | Early stages (US, China, Kuwait, Philippines) |
| Satellite (NTN) | Good in remote outdoor | ~10 kbit/s–1 Mbit/s+ | Poor | Solution dependent | Limited / trial markets |
| Use case | NB-IoT | LTE-M | Cat-1 | Cat-4/4+ | 5G NSA | 5G SA | 5G RedCap | Satellite (NTN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart metering | ||||||||
| Asset tracking | ||||||||
| Industrial automation | ||||||||
| Connected vehicles | ||||||||
| Video surveillance | ||||||||
| Smart agriculture | ||||||||
| Wearables | ||||||||
| Emergency response |
Deploy LTE where they’re already live to secure reliable coverage immediately.
Audit 2G/3G dependencies, track each operator’s shutdown dates, and validate multi-mode device fallbacks with tested firmware and roaming settings.
