Both NB-IoT and LTE CAT M1 are Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) Technologies developed for IoT (Internet of Things) Applications. The Internet of Things will connect millions of devices to the internet. Unlike traditional cellular applications, IoT devices need to transmit small amounts of data in infrequent bursts. Another requirement for these devices is that they must be low cost and last for over 5-10 years on a single battery.

NB-IoT and LTE CAT M1 are low power, narrow band technologies that can handle small amounts of 2-way data transmission in an efficient, secure and reliable manner. Both these technologies operate using existing cellular networks. They were both created by the 3GPP standards body in Release 13 to meet the specific requirements.