ENDC, or E-UTRAN New Radio – Dual Connectivity, is a Non-Standalone (NSA) feature that makes it possible for mobile devices to access both 5G and 4G LTE networks at the same time, which allows carriers to tap into the benefits of both network technologies simultaneously.
Most 5G networks today are NSA, and so rely on a 4G network core — as opposed to Standalone (SA), in which a brand new 5G network core is deployed. Operators, then, have turned to ENDC to optimize both 5G and 4G LTE service. According to RootMetrics, ENDC, by combining 5G with 4G LTE provides additional bandwidth, and therefore, allows carriers to boost 5G availability, speed and reliability.
