Is There a Difference Between Choosing 4G and 5G for IoT Smart Products?

As the current mainstream cellular communication technologies, 4G and 5G are often used for the networking needs of IoT devices, but they are not simply in an "upgrade and replacement" relationship. For IoT smart products, choosing between 4G and 5G requires comprehensive consideration from multiple dimensions such as data transmission characteristics, deployment costs, and scenario adaptation.

The theoretical downlink rate of 4G networks can reach 1Gbps, and in practical applications, it is usually stable at 10-100Mbps, with the uplink rate being approximately 5-50Mbps. This performance is efficient enough for low-frequency, small-traffic IoT scenarios, such as data transmission of devices like smart water meters, smart door locks, and environmental sensors. Even for security cameras that require medium traffic, 4G can support them stably, and network latency will not affect the basic needs of real-time monitoring.

5G networks, with their ultra-high speed and low latency characteristics, have broken through the performance boundaries of 4G. The actual downlink rate of its Sub-6GHz frequency band can reach 100-500Mbps, and the millimeter-wave frequency band can even exceed 1Gbps. The uplink rate can also reach 50-200Mbps, with latency as low as less than 10 milliseconds. This enables 5G to meet the high-frequency, large-traffic, and real-time needs of IoT products: such as real-time control command interaction of industrial robots, multi-channel sensor data backhaul of autonomous vehicles, etc. In addition, 5G's "network slicing technology" can also allocate independent network resources to different IoT products, ensuring the stability of key data transmission, which is difficult for 4G to achieve.

However, it should be noted that the high-speed advantage of 5G can only be exerted in areas with good signal coverage. In environments with weak signals such as suburbs and underground garages, its actual rate may drop to the 4G level, or even cause transmission interruptions due to frequent network switching, which is a potential risk for IoT products that rely on stable connections.

At present, the price of 4G IoT modules has dropped to 30-50 yuan. After years of market verification, they have mature technology and stable supply chains, making them suitable for consumer IoT products sensitive to costs. In addition, 4G networks have a wide coverage range, and there is no need to deploy additional base stations. Enterprises can directly use existing network resources, greatly reducing initial investment.

The price of 5G IoT modules is still at a relatively high level, 3-10 times that of 4G modules, which is a heavy burden for consumer products with low cost and large-scale deployment. At the same time, the construction cost of 5G networks is higher. Currently, they mainly cover urban core areas and industrial parks, while the coverage in suburbs and rural areas is still incomplete. If IoT products need to operate in these areas, they may face the dilemma of "having devices but no network".

In terms of compatibility, 4G modules have formed unified technical standards, and almost all mainstream IoT chip platforms can be seamlessly adapted, so enterprises do not need to worry about technical compatibility issues. 5G modules need to be deeply matched with the hardware design of products, with higher pre-debugging costs, making them more suitable for enterprises with strong technical reserves.

There is no "either-or" answer for IoT smart products to choose between 4G and 5G.

With the improvement of 5G network coverage and the decrease of module costs, the applicable scenarios of the two may further merge in the future. However, at present, "on-demand selection" is still the core principle of network solutions for IoT smart products.

Metrio Aero Core has been deeply engaged in the domestic and foreign IoT industry for more than 10 years, always at the forefront of industry development. Years of experience accumulation enables it to select the most matching network solutions for customers' usage scenarios and solve network troubles for customers.