• 4G Cat 1 bis will replace nearly 95% of the 4G Cat 1 market by 2030.

• In 2023, China dominated the 4G Cat 1 bis market with an 87% market share. By 2030, markets outside of China will account for about 60% of total shipments.

• Smart meters, POS devices, asset tracking, industrial sensors, and wearable devices are set to account for over 70% of total shipments by 2030.

• ASR is projected to lead the Global 4G Cat 1 bis market, with Qualcomm likely to secure a spot among the top five chipset suppliers by 2030.

4G Cat 1 bis will replace nearly 95% of the 4G Cat 1 market by 2030, according to Counterpoint's latest Global Cellular IoT Module Forecast report. IoT device OEMs used 4G Cat 1 technology for many years, and IoT devices were created using a single antenna. Device OEMs and chipset suppliers realised that LTE networks are widely available and have decent coverage, so one antenna was sufficient. Consequently, OEMs and chipset suppliers developed a specific 4G Cat 1 bis chipset with send and receive capabilities providing more than one antenna, which helped them reduce the cost of 4G Cat 1 bis modules. Developing a dedicated single 4G Cat 1 bis chipset helped reduced power consumption and component costs.

China is at the forefront of developing 4G Cat 1 bis technology. China dominated the 4G Cat 1 bis market in 2023, holding an 87% market share. By 2030, markets outside of China are projected to account for about 60% of total shipments driven by demand in key emerging markets, such as India and Latin America.

4G Cat 1 bis is expected to be a popular choice for many cellular IoT applications due to lower costs and better network roaming compared to other connectivity options. The benefits of 4G Cat 1 bis include lower costs, with modules currently 40% cheaper than 4G Cat 1 in global markets. Additionally, 4G Cat 1 bis offers seamless network roaming, avoiding the challenges faced by NB-IoT and Cat-M. However, choosing the right connectivity depends on the use case, as 4G Cat 1 bis may affect battery life in areas with poor coverage when it comes to battery-powered IoT devices.

Access full 4-pager report here.

If you are not a client, reach out to us at [email protected]