This whitepaper is for historical reference only. Some content might be outdated and some links might not be available. # Comparing LPWAN connectivity technologies The following table provides a short overview of the key characteristics of LPWAN technologies covered in this whitepaper. Refer to [Appendix: Characteristics of LPWAN technologies](appendix-characteristics-of-lpwan-technologies.md) for a detailed description of each mentioned technology. * Table 1 – LPWAN connectivity technologies * | Technology | LoRaWAN | NB-IoT (LTE Cat NB1) | LTE-M (LTE Cat M1) | Sigfox | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Range and coverage | \~5 km urban \~20 km rural | \~1 km urban \~10 km rural | \~1 km urban \~10 km rural | \~10 km urban \~40 km rural | | Support for device mobility | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes | | Uplink latency (order of magnitude) | Seconds | 1.2–100 s | < 60 ms | Seconds | | Data rate | 0,3 (SF12)–5,47 (SF7) kilobit/s | < 66 kilobit/s (uplink) < 26 kilobit/s (downlink) | 1 megabit/s | 0.1 kilobit/s | | Allow private networks | Yes | No | No | No (however, customers can deploy their own gateways) | | Battery life and power consumption | Years (when operating as a Class A device) | Years (when using eDRX and PSM features) | Years (when using eDRX and PSM features) | Years | | Maximum payload size | 11–242 bytes, depending on regional regulations and spread factor | 1,280 bytes recommended | 1,280 bytes recommended | 12 bytes (uplink) 8 bytes (downlink) | | Support for indoor and underground coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Reachability | Depends on device class (high for Class A, low for Class C) | Depends on power saving model configuration (PSM/eDRX) | Depends on power saving model configuration (PSM/eDRX) | High (downlink transmission allowed only during
30 seconds after uplink) | | Licensed spectrum | No | Yes | Yes | No | | Maximum messages per day | Depends on regional regulations of duty cycle | Unlimited | Unlimited | 140 per day (uplink) 4 per day (downlink) |