Difference Between LoRaWAN and NB-IoT

• The key difference lies in their infrastructure requirements. LoRaWAN requires its own gateways to connect IoT devices. These gateways are dedicated devices that receive data from sensor and forward it to a network server for processing.

• On the other hand NB-IoT runs on licensed frequency bands provided by mobile operators. NB-IoT devices can connect directly to cellular base stations without need for additional hardware like gateways.

  

Feature	LoRaWAN	NB-IoT
Frequency Band	Unlicensed	Licensed
Range	5-20 km (rural), 2-5 km (urban)	Up to 10 km
Power Usage	Very low (5-10 years battery life)	Moderate (shorter battery life)
Cost	No SIM required	SIM cost
Data Rates	Low (up to 50 kbps)	Higher (up to 250 kbps)
Infrastructure	Custom gateways required	Uses existing cellular towers