What is endc in LTE?

Asked by: Dillon Auer PhD  |  Last update: March 26, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (34 votes)

ENDC (E-UTRAN New Radio - Dual Connectivity) is a 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) technology that lets a device connect to both 4G LTE (as the master) and 5G New Radio (NR) (as the secondary) simultaneously, combining their bandwidth for faster speeds, better coverage, and smoother transitions, leveraging existing 4G infrastructure for a gradual 5G rollout.

What is LTE EN-DC?

Evolved-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (ENDC) is a technology that allows cellular devices to have simultaneous access to both 4G LTE as well as 5G New Radio (NR). This enables seamless handover between the two networks.

What is the EN-DC?

What is EN-DC? EN-DC refers to LTE & 5G Dual Connectivity. The letter E stands for E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network), which is the air interface in an LTE cellular network; The letter N means New Radio, which is the global standard for a unified, more capable 5G wireless air interface.

What does EN-DC stand for?

EN-DC (Evolved Non-standalone Dual Connectivity) is a feature of 5G mobile networks that allows for simultaneous 4G LTE and 5G NR connectivity, prescribed by 3GPP Release 15. This feature enables a 5G device to connect to both 4G LTE and 5G networks at the same time, improving network coverage, speed, and reliability.

What is the difference between EN-DC and NR-DC?

It explains that EN-DC allows a UE to connect simultaneously to an LTE and 5G NR network to enable early 5G rollout. NR-DC allows connection to both sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands using a single UE. An example EN-DC configuration is then given for a 5G LTE router that supports various LTE and 5G band combinations.

ENDC Part1

19 related questions found

Is FDD or TDD better?

Since FDD requires fewer base stations for the same coverage, it incurs lower deployment and operating costs. While FDD has clear advantages in coverage and costs, TDD is suitable to be deployed when paired spectrum is not available.

Is NR better than LTE?

5G NR: The air interface technology can provide lower latency, reaching 1 millisecond, which is much lower than the 30 milliseconds of 4G LTE, suitable for applications with extremely high real-time requirements, such as autonomous driving and remote surgery.

Is it better to be on LTE or 5G?

Yes, 5G is technically much better than LTE, offering significantly faster speeds (potentially gigabits vs. megabits), drastically lower latency (near-instant response), and much higher capacity for more connected devices, making it ideal for demanding applications like AR/VR and smart cities, but LTE often provides wider, more reliable coverage currently as 5G networks are still expanding, so the better choice depends on location and priority. 

What does 6G stand for?

6G is the name for the sixth generation of cellular networks, expected to be ready for commercial markets by the early 2030s.

Does 5G have end-to-end encryption?

Network slicing creates a safe, protected tunnel over the 5G network. Every slice is a separate network segment with its own end-to-end encryption.

Is 4G+ the same as 5G?

No, 4G+ (LTE-Advanced) is not the same as 5G; 4G+ is an enhancement of 4G using carrier aggregation for faster speeds, while 5G is a completely new generation of cellular technology offering significantly higher speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity, built on newer infrastructure and frequency bands (including high-band mmWave) for future technologies beyond just faster phones, though 4G+ serves as a bridge. Think of 4G+ as a faster lane on the old highway, and 5G as a new, futuristic high-speed rail system.
 

Is Jio 5G NSA or SA?

Reliance Jio remains India's only operator to have fully deployed a 5G SA network, while competitors Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea currently operate 5G non-standalone (NSA) networks that rely on 4G cores.

What is MCG in LTE?

The MCG and the SCG are concepts in dual connectivity (DC, Dual connectivity). It may be simply understood that the MCG is located in a group in which a cell in which the UE first initiates random access (RACH) is located. If there is no dual link, there is no concept of MCG and SCG.

What are the two types of LTE?

In terms of technology, there are two main types of LTE. The first form of LTE represented a bridge between 3G and 4G technologies. This form of LTE was slower than 4G networks and was only capable of data speeds up to 100 Mbps. The second LTE type is LTE-A or Long-Term Evolution Advanced.

Is 5G LTE or VoLTE?

Voice-over LTE (VoLTE) is a technology that lets you make phone calls over a 4G or 5G LTE data network instead of older 2G or 3G voice networks. It's the reason calls today connect faster and sound much clearer — delivering high-definition voice quality that makes conversations feel more natural.

What is NR-DC in 5G?

New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) is a dual connectivity configuration using the 5G standalone core. In this configuration, both the primary and secondary RAN nodes are 5G gNBs. SMF supports 5G aggregation along with NR-DC to achieve higher 5G data rates.

Will there be a 7G network?

Yes, 7G is possible as a future wireless generation, but it's still theoretical and in the research phase, expected to emerge around the 2030s, building on 6G with massive speed, AI integration, and satellite connectivity, though no official standards exist yet and it faces challenges in infrastructure and spectrum. 

What will replace 5G?

6G is the proposed sixth generation of mobile communications technology and the planned successor to 5G (ITU-R IMT-2020). As of 2024, development is coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) within its IMT-2030 framework, defined in Recommendation ITU-R M. 2160-0.

Is China using 6G?

China has completed the first phase of its 6G technology tests after four years of continuous trials, accumulating over 300 key technologies, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This achievement marks a major milestone in the global race toward next-generation wireless communication.

Will LTE be phased out soon?

While LTE won't vanish overnight, its coverage and performance will slowly degrade as bandwidth is reallocated. By 2028, most LTE channels are expected to be decommissioned. By 2035, LTE will be fully shut down nationwide.

Why does my phone say LTE if I have 5G?

Your phone shows LTE instead of 5G because you're likely in an area with no 5G coverage, your carrier plan or SIM isn't provisioned for 5G, your phone settings prioritize LTE for battery, or the network is congested, forcing a switch to the more stable LTE (4G) connection, even if 5G is theoretically available. It's common for phones to default to LTE when 5G signal isn't strong enough to provide a better experience, saving battery. 

Does 5G drain battery faster than LTE?

Yes, 5G can indeed use more battery than 4G LTE in many cases.

Why does my cell phone say LTE instead of 4G?

Your phone shows LTE (Long-Term Evolution) instead of 4G because LTE is the specific, advanced technology that most modern cellular networks use to deliver fast data speeds, essentially making it the upgraded version of 4G, and carriers often just display "LTE" as the standard. It's a good thing, indicating you're on a fast, reliable network, and it's the normal display when your phone connects to these 4G-equivalent networks, even though it's technically a step towards 5G. 

Does 5G signal go through walls?

Higher frequencies are great for carrying more data, but they're terrible at passing through walls, windows, and dense building materials. A strong outdoor 5G signal can drop to almost nothing indoors, while a lower-frequency 4G LTE signal can often still get inside.

What is VoLTE nr?

Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Voice over NR (VoNR) are two similar technologies that have been widely deployed by operators to provide a better calling experience in LTE and 5G networks, respectively.