What on Earth is Cat 1bis?

Steve on 29/07/2025


And why it’s about to change the game for connected devices in Australia and New Zealand

If you’re involved in IoT, asset tracking, remote monitoring or emergency connectivity, you’ve probably started to hear about Cat 1bis. It’s not hype. It’s a new cellular standard that solves some long-standing problems with deploying devices across Australia’s and New Zealand’s vast and varied terrain.

So what is it exactly?

Cat 1bis in plain terms

Cat 1bis is a simplified version of the existing LTE Category 1 (Cat 1) standard. The key difference is that it only requires one antenna instead of two. That makes it easier and cheaper to manufacture devices, especially compact GPS trackers, battery-powered sensors, and anything designed to run in the field for long periods.

It supports relatively high data rates, around 10 Mbps downlink and 5 Mbps uplink, and allows for features like power saving mode and extended discontinuous reception. That puts it in a sweet spot between the slower but ultra-efficient NB-IoT, and the faster, more expensive Cat 4 LTE modems used in phones.

For most IoT use cases, especially mobile tracking, Cat 1bis is fast enough, efficient enough, and now, finally, available.

What’s happening in New Zealand?

New Zealand is currently ahead of Australia in field testing and deploying Cat 1bis. Digital Matter, one of the major device manufacturers in this space, is already supplying Cat 1bis-enabled devices such as the Oyster3 Global and Remora3 Global, which are being used in active trials across NZ.

Vodafone New Zealand (now part of One NZ) has confirmed that these devices are registering successfully on the network using Cat 1bis, with no network-side changes required. That means Cat 1bis is fully operational on their existing LTE infrastructure. These trials are focused on GPS tracking and IoT deployments across logistics, conservation, and rural asset monitoring.

You can see confirmation from Digital Matter here:
Digital Matter: 4G Devices – FAQs
Device Compatibility Map

Why this matters in Australia

Australia faces similar challenges to New Zealand, large areas of land with limited coverage, infrastructure that needs to be monitored remotely, and increasing demand for mobile and resilient tracking solutions.

Cat 1bis offers:

  • Reliable LTE connectivity across existing networks
  • Global roaming support, ideal for devices used across borders
  • Moderate data throughput for applications like GPS tracking, event logging, and emergency triggers
  • Low enough power use to support long battery life in off-grid deployments

What makes it particularly relevant now is its growing compatibility with LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite systems. That means devices using Cat 1bis today can potentially fall back to satellite when outside of cellular range, opening up new options for emergency communications and high-resilience IoT.

While Cat 1bis is still gaining traction with Australian telcos, we expect rollout to accelerate quickly, particularly given the regulatory push for improved remote area connectivity and interest in hybrid satellite-cellular IoT deployments.

Who is building with Cat 1bis already?

Digital Matter’s new generation of devices are a good indicator of where things are heading. Their Oyster3 Global and Remora3 Global both support Cat 1bis and are being used in agricultural, environmental and logistics settings. These devices are compact, battery powered, and built for the harsh Australian environment.

More chipmakers including u-blox, Quectel and ASR are also building Cat 1bis support directly into modules, so we can expect more compatible devices on the market by the end of 2025.

For any organisation rolling out IoT infrastructure today, especially in the public sector, it is worth choosing hardware that already supports Cat 1bis.

In summary

Cat 1bis may not be a buzzword, but it is a quiet shift that will have a big impact in practical IoT.

  • It runs on existing LTE infrastructure with no network upgrades required
  • It supports real roaming and fallback options where NB-IoT and LTE-M do not
  • It allows for smaller, more affordable devices with long battery life
  • It is already being rolled out in New Zealand, with Australian support not far behind
  • It pairs well with hybrid connectivity strategies, including satellite fallback

If you are deploying devices that need to operate in remote or challenging environments, Cat 1bis should be part of your connectivity plan.

Now is the time to talk to your hardware vendors and telcos. The support is coming and it is coming fast.

Why Australia Is Built for Real IoT

Steve on 29/07/2025

Australia is a country of harsh distances, complex landscapes, and practical people. It is also one of the best environments in the world for meaningful Internet of Things deployments. Not the flashy kind that controls your coffee machine, but the kind that helps you prevent a flood, catch a feral pig, or secure a remote gate before someone gets hurt.

This is IoT (Internet of Things) with a purpose.

Our land demands it

You cannot physically monitor everything. It is not just about cost. In many places, it is simply not possible.

One council officer cannot check hundreds of traps across a national park. A property manager cannot be on every site when the water starts to rise. A landholder cannot be expected to detect every fence breach in real time. But with the right sensor in the right place, they do not have to.

With LoRaWAN, NB-IoT and Cat-M1 now widely available, it is possible to deploy small, low-power devices that send useful data over long distances. These sensors can run for years on battery power and operate far beyond mobile coverage or fixed power infrastructure.

This technology was made for a country like ours.

Disasters are regular, not rare

In Australia, floods, bushfires and extreme weather are not outliers. They are part of everyday risk planning.

We know that early warnings save property, reduce recovery costs, and in some cases, save lives. We also know that most infrastructure failure starts small. A sump pump stops responding. A low point starts to collect water. A culvert overflows after hours.

If you can catch these moments early, you can act before it becomes a disaster. That is what IoT enables.

Biosecurity is a national priority

Feral animals, invasive weeds and pest insects are eating into our ecosystems and our economy. They move quickly and quietly through landscapes that are difficult to monitor.

With GPS collars, motion sensors, trail cameras and AI-based recognition, we now have better ways to observe and manage these threats. You cannot eliminate what you cannot find. But when you know what is moving, and when and where it is moving, you have options.

This applies equally to feral pigs, wild dogs, exclusion zones, and remote access points.

Most infrastructure is unmanaged

Across Australia, infrastructure is ageing, remote, and under pressure. That includes everything from pump stations and levees to gates, roads, carparks and shared basements.

Most of it is not being watched. Failures are often only detected after the damage is done. But with lightweight IoT systems in place, it is possible to monitor key points across multiple sites without needing a team of technicians or a dedicated control room.

You do not need a smart city budget. You just need the right tool in the right place.

We need Australian systems

If the goal is long-term reliability, Australian organisations need technology that is designed for local conditions and hosted onshore. That means platforms that are built with open protocols, work well with known hardware, and are simple enough for regional teams to use without training courses or consultants.

It also means no overseas lock-in, no dependence on one cloud provider, and no hidden licensing traps.

Australia deserves systems that are clear, accountable and sovereign.

What we do now matters

Over the next few decades, our ability to manage water, land, and biodiversity will depend on the quality of the data we collect. IoT is not the whole answer, but it is a vital part of the toolkit.

The challenge now is to stop trialling and start rolling out.

We already have the networks. We already have the hardware. We already have proven use cases across government, agriculture, conservation and property.

Now it is about leadership. Practical thinking. And building things that last.

If you are ready to move beyond proof of concept and into real-world outcomes, we are ready to work with you.