Infographic: Choosing the Right IoT Connectivity

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.

Key Takeaways

LTE Cat-1 and Cat-1 bis deliver consistent coverage without requiring special radio spectrum or roaming setups, making them the default option today.

Legacy 2G/3G sunsets drive urgent migration to 4G; where LPWA is unavailable, enterprises can rely on LTE Cat-1/Cat-1 bis for reliable global reach.

LPWA coverage remains fragmented: NB-IoT dominates in China and Asia, dual model is supported in theory in EU and US, but LTE-M is far more popular in these markets.

5G Redcap rollout is at a very early stage, with only 4 markets with commercial services; its adoption will take time as it hinges on the complex implementation of 5G standalone core first.

4G & LPWA Availability 2025

Both LPWA options (NB-IoT and LTE-M) are commercially available
Exclusive support for LTE-M
Exclusive support for NB-IoT
Lack of commercial LPWA services, but LTE Cat-1 or other 4G options are still available
No 4G service (note that LTE Cat 1 and Cat 4 are supported in all other market categories above)

5G and RedCap Availability 2025

Markets that have launched commercial 5G RedCap services
Markets with finished or ongoing 5G SA implementation
Markets that have launched 5G but not implemented 5G SA
Markets without any launched 5G service yet

What Are the Key Differences Between Cellular IoT Options?

IoT connectivity technologies – coverage, throughput, latency, energy efficiency and global availability.
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

Note: the throughput and latency listed above are indicative for typical performance, not peak performance.

Which IoT Connectivity Fits Your Use Case?

Use cases supported by major IoT connectivity technologies.
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

Recommendations from Telenor IoT

Begin with available networks:

Deploy LTE where they’re already live to secure reliable coverage immediately.

Plan for legacy sunsets:

Audit 2G/3G dependencies, track each operator’s shutdown dates, and validate multi-mode device fallbacks with tested firmware and roaming settings.

Align technology to actual requirements:

Define your must-have criteria (coverage, latency, bandwidth, global reach) and choose the simplest solution that meets them; defer 5G RedCap or NTN until broadly available.

Build in future flexibility:

Select modular hardware and over-the-air SIM management so you can switch profiles or networks as options evolve.

Start small and scale:

Pilot new connectivity in a controlled setting, refine integration, then expand only after performance is proven.

Get the Full Technology Comparison:

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