5G NR technology is too expensive and not suitable for all applications. While it can support data-intensive uses like autonomous vehicles, it may be overkill for some IoT uses. Lower-power WAN technologies like NB-IoT, LTE-M, LoRaWAN and Sigfox are better suited to the low-data, long-battery-life needs of many IoT devices. Additionally, Wi-Fi 6 and the CBRS spectrum provide other connectivity options beyond 5G for both mobile and fixed devices. No single technology is optimal for all situations.

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5G Is Not Suitable For All Applications
In the field of mobile network operators (MNO), 5G is gradually becoming the fifth-generation
mobile network standard to eventually dominate wireless phones and mobile broadband. 5G NR
technology is too expensive and not suitable for all applications. Although millimeter-wave 5G NR
is super capable in many IoT applications, low-power WAN (LPWAN) can support a range of
devices that generate low data traffic and have limited battery power.
As public operators expand their new infrastructure to more regions, the drumbeat of the 5G
wireless world is getting higher. However, public operators 5G should not obscure the many
network connection options that companies can use to coordinate the Internet of Things (IoT)
and network edge operations.
In the expanded marketing area of mobile network operators (MNOs), 5G is the fifth-generation
mobile network standard and is gradually dominating wireless phones, mobile broadband, and
may even replace the last mile of fiber optic and coaxial broadband.
5G will be based on the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5G New Radio (5G NR)
standard. However, some operators have introduced early implementations of pre-standard or
transitional 4G+ phases.
Compared with the so-called 5G, which operates independently of the LTE network, the
disadvantages of such methods include increased operating costs and decreased performance.
Independent 5G requires a lot of infrastructure expansion to achieve the ultra-reliable
low-latency communications promised by the 5G standard and may require a lot of time and
investment to be fully realized.

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In a world of IoT connectivity and network edges, 5G NR deployments are likely to provide
high-bandwidth, low-latency communications to support data-intensive applications (such as
autonomous vehicle operation, video surveillance, and optimizing urban traffic flow) as enhanced
mobile broadband. Important. However, for some scenarios or IoT applications, it may be overkill
and not the best solution.
MNOs such as AT&T and Verizon have deployed the millimeter-wave spectrum of 5G NR
technology, which uses high-frequency radio waves with a shorter range than previous
generations of cellular wireless technology. This requires additional base stations to match the
signal penetration of earlier technologies. However, it will take years to build infrastructure to
provide content that is close to universal coverage. High-frequency signals may be blocked by
walls, trees, and other obstacles, limiting their ability to be used in factories and other dense
environments.
5G is not suitable for all applications
For many applications, 5G NR technology is too expensive and unsuitable. For example, given the
cost and battery power requirements, it would be meaningless to integrate a 5G modem with a
low-cost package tracking sensor.
5G is not suitable for connecting sensors; the price is expensive, the modem cannot be used, and
there are tariff problems. It is more suitable for mobile applications, such as IoT devices in police
cars, or wide area network (WAN) links that may be IoT gateways or routers and can aggregate
traffic from sensors connected via Wi-Fi wireless local area network (WLAN) or other short-range
wireless Options, such as Bluetooth and Zigbee.
As enterprises move to Wi-Fi 6, the next-generation wireless standard based on the IEEE
802.11ax standard, they will be able to utilize faster bandwidth and support other devices with
lower power consumption requirements. This will be suitable for many devices that are fixed or
restricted in fixed spaces.
For many organizations familiar with earlier Wi-Fi equipment, this path provides independence
from the MNO and avoids the complexity involved in deploying private 5G networks. Alternatively,
they can be connected to a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) that utilizes 5G and other WAN
connectivity options. The Wi-Fi 6E standard extends WLAN applications to the 6 GHz wireless
band and supports additional and wider channels suitable for large-capacity data applications,
such as video streaming from multiple devices.
Low-power WAN for mobile IoT connection
Although millimeter-wave 5G NR is super capable in many IoT applications, low-power WAN
(LPWAN) can support a range of devices that generate low data traffic and have limited battery
power. LPWAN technology can be used for a licensed spectrum for cellular service MNOs, or for
an unlicensed spectrum that companies can control themselves or through integrators.
Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is a 3GPP standard for licensed spectrum cellular LPWAN
technology. It does not require a data aggregation gateway but can allow devices such as sensors
to communicate directly with a central server. Compared with 5G NR, NB-IoT can support a large
number of low-throughput devices, has the ability to penetrate underground and improve indoor
coverage.

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Another licensed spectrum cellular LPWAN option is LTE-M, which supports higher bandwidth
and mobile devices with lower latency than NB-IoT. Both are designed to enable organizations to
take advantage of lower-cost data rates than 5G NR and can operate within 4G LTE carrier
networks. Both are co-existing with 5G NR and are constantly evolving, so they comply with the
broader 5G specifications of 3GPP.
Organizations that do not want to rely on MNO can use the unlicensed spectrum LPWAN option
to better customize and control the IoT wireless infrastructure. LoRaWAN is a remote LPWAN
specification developed and maintained by the LoRa Alliance; although LoRa devices are based
on open standards, they rely on Semtech chip technology. A more proprietary alternative is Sigfox,
developed by a company of the same name, focusing on low-cost, low-power connections
through a dedicated global network.
NB-IoT and LoRaWAN are likely to go hand in hand because they are very similar from a technical
point of view. He also pointed out that about half of LoRa technology is now used in public
networks.
If Lora is a huge threat because of its ability to handle private networks, then NB-IoT is likely to
increase the ability to handle private networks. Currently, Sigfox is a low-cost leader, but LoRa
and NB-IoT may enjoy economies of scale, which will make them more competitive in terms of
pricing.
Citizen Broadband
The launch of the US Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) has added new vitality to the US
wireless WAN and wireless LAN decisions. CBRS is called the Innovative Broadband by the Federal
Communications Commission. It provides the possibility for MNOs, cable operators, venue
owners, and enterprises to extend existing wireless services or deploy new options.
The FCC determined that the CBRS spectrum can be shared between three usage layers: existing
users with unrestricted access rights, new licensed layers with priority access rights, and
unlicensed users with lower priority.
With CBRS, MNO can expand its public 4G and 5G services to connect with IoT networks,
enterprises can replace or supplement Wi-Fi networks with private 4G and 5G networks, and
various service providers can provide last-mile services through CBRS.
CBRS has nothing to do with technology, so you can do whatever you want, or even use
proprietary technology. In the prosperous metropolitan area, some companies may want to
obtain licensed CBRS to avoid being crowded out by unlicensed users, but they are interfering or
Regions that are less likely to compete with others prefer to use unlicensed CBRS.
Complementary
Each technology option mentioned here is designed to provide next-generation connectivity. To
some extent, they all belong to or supplement the broader definition of 5G, and each attribute
has attributes that are more suitable for specific applications than other applications.