Does 4g LTE mean phone calls are 4G also or just data?

revdc

Perhaps someone else has asked this but I don't believe I understand as well as I think I do.  Does anyone know if 4G LTE only refers to the data connection/radio in the phone or does it refer to the phone calls as well?  If it doesn't, what does that mean for phone calls? Are they 1xRTT, 1xEVDO, 2G, 3G, what?  Please help clear this up.

Weth

IT is confusing, so you are not alone. 

Prior to late 2014, LTE was data only and all calls went through the CDMA 2G system, 1xRTT.  3G, which is EVDO, is also a data only system.  There is no such thing as 1xEVDO.  1x can carry data, but at a very slow speed, think dial up modem. 

In late 2014, Verizon turned on VoLTE which is Voice over LTE.  Verizon brands this as Advanced Calling 1.0. If you call another phone that is capable of VoLTE on the Verizon system, it connects at a higher bitrate voice, being much clearer.  This is HD Voice

with VoLTE, voice is carried as data. It gets higher priority so you maintain a good connection. even though it is using LTE data, it does not count against your data allocation, and still counts against your voice minutes.