4G remains the ideal solution for IoT connectivity in 2022

A study conducted by ABI Research reveals that 4G remains the preferred solution for IoT connectivity.

2022 did not bring with it a new dominant standard for IoT connectivity.
ABI Research tracked 1,037 IoT models across 52 module vendors and found that competing standards still have a ways to go to catch up with 4G.

4G accounts for more than 60 percent of cellular modules, whether it’s high-bandwidth CAT12 to CAT20 or high-bandwidth CAT1 to CAT4. 5G accounts for only 4.34%.

While the global 2G and 3G networks are beginning to shut down, 4G is not expected to be threatened for some time. 4G remains widely available, while 5G is still in its infancy.

In addition, 20 percent of the cataloged modules have Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies. NB-IoT and LTE-M are the leading solutions in the LPWA space.

4G is expected to remain the connectivity technology of choice for medium- to long-term sustainability of IoT devices. LPWA, on the other hand, is expected to become the preferred solution in the coming years for applications such as smart street lighting.