NB-IoT provides security features based on known LTE technology. The security features cover three categories: Confidentiality: The customer payload is encrypted between NB-IoT modem and Cellular IoT Serving Gateway Node (CSGN). Between the private APN and server, the traffic is protected using IPSec (device cannot be accessed from the Internet). Integrity & authentication: The NB-IoT device authenticates itself at the network, based on known LTE registration procedures (SIM based authentication) Availability: If a redundant APN has been ordered the APN is distributed across two geo-redundant CSGNs.

Power saving mode (PSM) and Long Periodic TAU (LP-TAU) are covered by NB-IoT over classical LTE.

NB-IoT is based on the LTE technology, but some features of LTE have been stripped out to optimize costs and battery lifetime, e.g. Voice, SMS and handover support. Moreover, data transmission was simplified to run via the control plane and only single-stream (half-duplex). User equipment only requires a single antenna.