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NB-IoT SIM options for nRF9160 in India

purush123

Hi all,

I'm deploying an nRF9160-based device in India and hitting the familiar "which SIM actually works here" wall. Looking for current (2026) experiences, since older threads are out of date and the operator landscape keeps shifting.

What I've tried:
- Airtel M2M NB-IoT SIM — provisioned fine, but NB-IoT coverage at my location( Bangalore ) was poor and unreliable. Device couldn't get a stable attach.

Where I'm stuck — questions:
1. For anyone running nRF9160 in India in 2025–2026: which operator's NB-IoT are you actually getting a reliable attach and data on? Jio keeps coming up as the main NB-IoT operator — can anyone confirm current nRF9160 experience?
2. Jio NB-IoT is reportedly Non-IP (data tunneled via their server rather than standard IP sockets). For those using it — how are you handling this on the nRF9160 side? NIDD, or is there an IP APN available now?
3. Has anyone sourced a small-quantity NB-IoT SIM (R&D, under 10 SIMs) without the 100-SIM enterprise minimum?

Any band-lock (%XBANDLOCK) or APN config that made the difference would be a huge help.

Thanks!

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    Hi,

    I’ve been using Jio NB-IoT with the nRF9151 since last year and my experience has been quite stable overall. I’ve tested it across 7–8 states in India, including Bangalore and Chennai, and the device was able to attach and exchange data reliably in most locations.

    From my setup, Jio is working in standard APN/IP mode — I’m not using NIDD. My configuration uses an APN-based connection (in my case jionpiot). You should confirm the exact APN and provisioning details with your local Jio distributor/M2M contact because they sometimes provision different profiles depending on the SIM type and region.

    A few things that helped in my case:

    • Band lock made a noticeable difference in some areas.

    • Keeping the modem restricted to NB-IoT only improved attach stability.

    • Verifying that the SIM is actually provisioned for NB-IoT data (not just LTE-M/general M2M) is important.

    For small quantities, I was able to get development quantities through a distributor rather than going through the full enterprise onboarding path directly.

    Overall, compared to Airtel, Jio has been much more reliable for NB-IoT in my testing so far.

    thanks and regards 

    Nishant

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  • 0

    Hi,

    I’ve been using Jio NB-IoT with the nRF9151 since last year and my experience has been quite stable overall. I’ve tested it across 7–8 states in India, including Bangalore and Chennai, and the device was able to attach and exchange data reliably in most locations.

    From my setup, Jio is working in standard APN/IP mode — I’m not using NIDD. My configuration uses an APN-based connection (in my case jionpiot). You should confirm the exact APN and provisioning details with your local Jio distributor/M2M contact because they sometimes provision different profiles depending on the SIM type and region.

    A few things that helped in my case:

    • Band lock made a noticeable difference in some areas.

    • Keeping the modem restricted to NB-IoT only improved attach stability.

    • Verifying that the SIM is actually provisioned for NB-IoT data (not just LTE-M/general M2M) is important.

    For small quantities, I was able to get development quantities through a distributor rather than going through the full enterprise onboarding path directly.

    Overall, compared to Airtel, Jio has been much more reliable for NB-IoT in my testing so far.

    thanks and regards 

    Nishant

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