Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q75 (IAS/2019) Science & Technology › ICT, AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech › Wireless communication technologies Official Key

With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference/differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)? 1. LTE is commonly marketed as 3G and VOLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G. 2. LTE is data-only technology and VOLTE is voice-only technology. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is option D (Neither 1 nor 2) because both statements are incorrect.

**Statement 1 is incorrect:** LTE is known as a competing 4G network[1], not 3G. While LTE is not technically the same as 4G, its evolution has occurred on 4G networks[2]. Therefore, LTE is commonly marketed as 4G technology, not 3G. Similarly, VoLTE enables voice calls over LTE networks, commonly known as 4G networks[3], so VoLTE is also associated with 4G, not "advanced 3G."

**Statement 2 is incorrect:** LTE is a data-only technology[4], which makes the first part of statement 2 correct. However, VoLTE is not voice-only technology. VoLTE uses IP-based technology to transmit voice calls as data packets over a 4G LTE network[5], and user sessions can include either voice or data or voice over data sessions (VoLTE)[6]. VoLTE enables voice services over the data network but is not exclusively voice-only.

Since both statements contain errors, neither statement is correct.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/mobile-broadband
  2. [6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0263224115003991
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
0%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest preview
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference/differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice o…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This is a classic 'Observation Test' rather than a bookish question. It penalizes aspirants who bury their heads in books but ignore the '4G' icon on their phone status bar. The strategy for S&T is: If a technology is in your pocket, you must know its basic definition and generation (2G vs 3G vs 4G).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In communication technologies, is LTE commonly marketed as a 3G technology?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The other competing 4G network is known as Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE is built on top of the UMTS style of network but is also a mobile broadband network designed for packet-based transmissions."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly identifies LTE as a 4G network (not 3G).
  • States LTE is built on top of UMTS-style (3G) networks but presents it as a 4G mobile broadband technology.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"In brief, while LTE is not technically _the same_ as 4G, its evolution has occurred on 4G networks."
Why this source?
  • Associates LTE with 4G networks rather than labeling it 3G.
  • Notes that while LTE is not technically identical to 4G, its evolution has occurred on 4G networks (linking LTE to 4G marketing/positioning).
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"LTE functionality builds on some of the underlying 3G technology and functions as an enhancement to 3G."
Why this source?
  • States LTE 'builds on some of the underlying 3G technology' and 'functions as an enhancement to 3G,' indicating technical lineage rather than classifying LTE itself as 3G.
  • Shows LTE is related to 3G technically but framed as an enhancement (not simply marketed as 3G).

Understanding Economic Development. Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: GLOBALISATION AND THE INDIAN ECONOMY > Containers for transport of goods > p. 62
Strength: 4/5
“Even more remarkable have been the developments in information and communication technology. In recent times, technology in the areas of telecommunications, computers, Internet has been changing rapidly. Telecommunication facilities (telegraph, telephone including mobile phones, fax) are used to contact one another around the world, to access information instantly, and to communicate from remote areas. This has been facilitated by satellite communication devices. As you would be aware, computers have now entered almost every field of activity. You might have also ventured into the amazing world of internet, where you can obtain and share information on almost anything you want to know.”
Why relevant

Describes rapid and recent changes in telecommunications (telecom, computers, Internet, mobile phones), implying the field uses successive technology generations and frequent upgrades.

How to extend

A student could combine this with a timeline of mobile generations (2G/3G/4G) to check where LTE fits and whether marketing sometimes lags or blurs generation labels.

FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Tertiary and Quaternary Activities > Telecommunications > p. 49
Strength: 4/5
“The use of telecommunications is linked to the development of modern technology. It has revolutionised communications because of the speed with which messages are sent. The time reduced is from weeks to minutes. Besides, the recent advancements like mobile telephony have made communications direct and instantaneous at any time and from anywhere. The telegraph, morse code and telex have almost become things of the past. Radio and television also help to relay news, pictures, and telephone calls to vast audiences around the world and hence they are termed as mass media. They are vital for advertising and entertainment. Newspapers are able to cover events in all corners of the world.”
Why relevant

Explains that recent advancements like mobile telephony have revolutionised communications, suggesting there are distinct technological stages or classifications in mobile tech.

How to extend

Use standard definitions of mobile 'generations' (G) to map named technologies (e.g., GSM, UMTS, LTE) and see if LTE is categorized with 3G or 4G in industry sources and adverts.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > TELECOM SECTOR > p. 462
Strength: 3/5
“• Indian telecom network is second largest in the world in terms of telephone connections (after China). • The mobile industry contributes around 6. 5 per cent to the country's GDP. • As per the 2019-20 annual report of the Department of Telecommunications, GOI: a • India has over 118 crore telephone connections, out of which over 115 crore are wireless telephone connections. • Share of wireless telephones in total telephones is more than 98 per cent.”
Why relevant

Gives scale and importance of wireless telephony in India, indicating a large consumer market where marketing practices (including possibly simplifying tech labels) would matter.

How to extend

Check major Indian operators' historical marketing/consumer materials to see whether LTE was promoted as 3G to consumers unfamiliar with technical generation distinctions.

FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > Satellite Communication > p. 68
Strength: 3/5
“Today Internet is the largest electronic network on the planet connecting about 1,000 million people in more than 100 countries. Satellites touch human lives in many ways. Every time you use a cell phone to call a friend, send an SMS or watch a popular programme on cable television. You are using satellite communication. Communication through satellites emerged as a new area in communication technology since the 1970s after U.S.A. and former U.S.S.R. pioneered space research. Artificial satellites, now, are successfully deployed in the earth's orbit to connect even the remote corners of the globe with limited onsite verification. These have rendered the unit cost and time of communication invariant in terms of distance.”
Why relevant

Notes how everyday mobile phone use relies on broader communication infrastructure (satellites, networks), implying that users often encounter simplified explanations of complex tech.

How to extend

Investigate consumer-facing explanations in textbooks, ads or operator FAQs to see if complex terms like LTE are simplified into '3G' for lay audiences.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 14: Service Sector > Communication Sector > p. 432
Strength: 2/5
“The communication service is defined as the transmission of messages, particularly sending and receiving information. Development of satellite communication and mobile technologies gives prominence to this sector.”
Why relevant

Defines the communication service and highlights development of mobile technologies, pointing to a pattern where technological development is a visible, marketable feature of services.

How to extend

Compare how different communication technologies are named in service marketing (e.g., '3G', '4G', 'LTE') to determine whether naming conventions align with technical standards or are used loosely.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

How to study

This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.

Login with Google to unlock study guidance.

Micro-concepts

Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.

Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.

The Vault

Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.

Login with Google to unlock The Vault.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2015 · Q32 Relevance score: -1.80

With reference to 'Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology', which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is a contactless communication technology that uses electromagnetic radio fields. 2. NFC is designed for use by devices which can be at a distance of even a metre from each other. 3. NFC can use encryption when sending sensitive information. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

IAS · 2022 · Q66 Relevance score: -1.85

Consider the following communication technologies : 1. Closed-circuit Television 2. Radio Frequency Identification 3. Wireless Local Area Network Which of the above are considered Short-Range devices/technologies ?

IAS · 2020 · Q69 Relevance score: -2.12

With reference to Visible Light Communication (VLC) technology, which of the following statements are correct ? 1. VLC uses electromagnetic spectrum wavelengths 375 to 780 nm. 2. VLC is known as long-range optical wireless communication. 3. VLC can transmit large amounts of data faster than Bluetooth. 4. VLC has no electromagnetic interference. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

IAS · 2016 · Q5 Relevance score: -2.97

With reference to 'LiFi', recently in the news, which of the following statements" is/are correct? 1. It uses light as the medium for high-speed data transmission. 2. It is a wireless technology and is several times faster than. 'WiFi'. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

CDS-I · 2004 · Q56 Relevance score: -3.06

What will be potential difference between points A and B in the following circuit?