RFLTE vs NB-LTE: Understanding the Key Differences
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This page compares LTE vs NB-LTE and describes the difference between LTE and NB-LTE (i.e. NB-IoT) technologies.
| Specifications | LTE | NB-LTE or LTE-NB or NB-IoT |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | 3GPP Release 8/9 (Basic LTE), 3GPP Release 10 (Advanced LTE) | 3GPP Release 13 .. (Cat-NB1) 3GPP Release 14 .. (Cat-NB2) |
| Abbreviation | Long Term Evolution, General term for all 4G LTE | Narrow Band LTE |
| Device cost | Costlier | Cheaper, 5 to 10 $ per module, 10% less compared to LTE-M |
| Bandwidth | Supports various ranges of BW ( i.e. 1.4MHz, 3.0MHz, 5MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz, 20MHz) | Narrower BW (180 KHz) |
| Latency | Higher than LTE-M , about 1.5 to 10 sec | Lower, about 50 to 100ms |
| Battery Life | Short | Long, +10 Years, depends on use case |
| Maximum Data rate | 300 Mbps Downlink(DL) with 4x4 MIMO and 20 MHz configurations , 75 Mbps Uplink (UL) | < 100 Kbps (i.e. 30Kbps or 60Kbps) |
| Service costs or deployment costs | Higher | Lower |
| Coverage | About 2 to 10 miles | 7 times of LTE |
| Voice support | Yes | No (only data is supported) |
| Mobility support | Yes | Limited |
| Frequency Bands | Bands include 1 to 12, 13 to 25, 33 to 43. | LTE in-band, LTE guard band and GSM repurposing |
| Module size | Not suitable as wearables | Suitable as wearables |
| Duplex support | Both half duplex and full duplex | Half duplex |
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