Techniques for deploying Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB IoT) devices in wireless network(s) are discussed herein. NB IoT has several deployment modes: standalone, guard band, and in-band. Aspects of this disclosure are directed to deploying NB IoT devices in a Fourth Generation (4G) communication system to operate in a guard band mode and subsequently maintaining the deployment of those NB IoT devices in a Fifth Generation (5G) communication system to operate in an in-band mode.