Terrestrial NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) and Satellite NB-IoT are both low-power, wide-area (LPWA) technologies designed for IoT applications, but they differ in deployment, coverage, and use cases.
Use Case:
Terrestrial NB-IoT works well where cellular coverage is already available.
Satellite NB-IoT fills the gap where no towers exist—like oceans, deserts, forests, or rural areas—without the need to deploy new infrastructure.
Standardization
Terrestrial NB-IoT: 3GPP Rel-13 to Rel-17
Satellite NB-IoT: Introduced in 3GPP Release 17 (NB-IoT over NTN)
Network Topology
Terrestrial NB-IoT: Ground-based EPC/5GC with direct UE communication
Satellite NB-IoT: Either bent-pipe (transparent) or regenerative satellite.
Latency
Terrestrial NB-IoT: Typically <100 ms
Satellite NB-IoT: Higher: ~20–40 ms (LEO), >500 ms (GEO)
Hybrid solutions (e.g., devices that switch between terrestrial and satellite networks) are emerging for seamless IoT connectivity.
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