LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication standard. It is far faster than 3G: the standard reaches a downlink maximum in the 150Mbps class, rising to the 1Gbps class where several frequency bands are combined. Those are theoretical figures that assume ideal reception and a lightly loaded network, and real-world speeds fall well short of them depending on how many people share the same base station and how buildings block the signal. NTT Docomo launched Japan's first LTE service, Xi, in 2010, and LTE spread nationwide from there as the foundation for mobile data communication.
Voice calls on LTE use VoLTE (Voice over LTE). Where 3G carried voice by circuit switching, VoLTE sends it as packets over the LTE connection. The wait between dialing and hearing the ring shortened as a result, and when both handsets support HD Voice the call also moves to the wider audio range.
LTE runs on several frequency bands. Band 1 (2.1GHz), Band 3 (1.8GHz), and Band 8 (900MHz) are among them, and each carrier uses a different combination. Before buying a SIM-free handset, check that it supports the bands your carrier uses. A missing band shows up as no service, or as disappointing speeds, in the places served by that band.
5G coverage keeps widening, but as of 2026 there are still few situations where 5G alone carries the whole session; most of the time the phone falls back to LTE. LTE remains in wide service as the infrastructure that fills in around 5G. See also the difference between 090, 080, and 070 numbers.