AT&T Decommissioning Narrowband IoT Network

AT&T will decommission its Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and transition its services for business customers to its LTE-M network.

So far, the company has begun planning the phasing out and decommissioning of the NB-IoT wireless network in the U.S. and is helping customers transition their devices to alternative network technologies, namely, LTE-M.

The complete decommissioning of the NB-IoT network technology could occur as early as the first quarter of 2025, the company told IoT World Today.

“We are improving our Internet of Things (IoT) services for business customers by moving from Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) to the LTE-M network,” the company said in a statement. “This change will provide more data capacity for both fixed and mobile devices. As a result, we’ve stopped the certification of new NB-IoT devices and the sale of data plans utilizing the NB-IoT network. We’re working closely with customers to make this process as seamless as possible.”

AT&T launched its NB-IoT network in April 2019, stating, “This new network will help unlock the next wave of IoT connections. And it’s a big step toward massive IoT and 5G.”

With the network going online, AT&T was able to offer both NB-IoT and LTE-M networks in the U.S. and Mexico (It launched its LTE-M network in 2017). The devices that use these networks, such as utility meters, leak detectors, smart appliances and streetlights, can be configured to go dormant when not in use, meaning they could go up to 10 years before needing a battery replacement, the company said at the time.

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NB-IoT is best suited for stationary use cases with basic data requirements, like simple sensors, on-off buttons, smoke detectors and industrial monitors, while LTE-M, with its broader bandwidth, is best suited to firmware and software updates, mobility and voice-over services, the company said.

Now, it appears AT&T is going all-in on LTE-M for IoT coverage, at least until its efforts in the 5G sector bear fruit. In August 2023, the company said it was the first provider to conduct a 5G reduced capacity (RedCap) data call in both its lab and on a live 5G stand-alone network.   

“LTE-M will continue to support the LPWA (low power wide area) use cases, while 5G will support the high complexity use cases,” the company said in announcing the RedCap tests. “Between these is 5G RedCap, which will support mid-tier IoT use cases. For lower-cost, lower-complexity IoT devices that do not need standard 5G [new radio] but can benefit from higher bandwidth and lower latency capabilities than what LTE-M currently offers, RedCap is the way to go.”