The introduction of cellular LPWA standards didn’t negate the existence of LTE-cat1. LTE-cat1 remains useful for devices that need higher bandwidth, while cellular LTE-catM or NB-IoT provide a simpler, less expensive, and more efficient way to support the small, battery-powered devices, such as sensors that transmit readings and asset tags that report location, that have become so present in the IoT.

It may be hard to know which one is best for your case. To help selection, we highlight the key considerations for LTE cat-1 versus cat-M / NB-IoT and identify the use cases best suited to each.