3G is short-hand for the third generation of the mobile telecommunications family of standards. It is designed to offer wider and more advanced services than the previous generations, 1G and 2G.
Comparison with 1G and 2G
1G was used for analog cellular phones, while 2G was used for digital phones. Unlike its predecessors, 3G technology enables simultaneous use of speech and data services. Plus, it has wider network capability.
Data Rates
3G's most dominant feature is its higher data rates. A mobile phone must be able to have a connection speed of 384 Kbps to qualify as having 3G technology. It is what enables phones to have advanced features such as live, streaming video.
History
3G made its debut in Japan in 2001. From there, it spread to South Korea and Europe. 3G was in the United States by 2003, and it was the world standard by 2007.
WCDMA
WCDMA is the most widely used 3G technology. Also referred to as UMTS, it is used by wireless carriers AT&T and T-Mobile.
CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is another standard, considered an evolution of its 2G predecessor. EV-DO is the most famous version of CDMA2000; it is an acronym for "Evolution, Data-Only" or "Evolution, Data-Optimized."
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