What is 3G communication? | Third-generation mobile communication system that enables high-speed digital communication

What is 3G?

3G communication speeds are significantly faster than 2G

3G communication speeds are up to 14Mbps down and 5.8Mbps up, compared to 2G's maximum speeds of 384kbps down and 64kbps up, so communication speeds are significantly improved.
The high-speed communications of 3G made it possible to comfortably use data communications such as the Internet and email. It also made it possible to watch videos and download apps, leading to widespread use of the mobile Internet. This led to changes in corporate business models, and the emergence of mobile services such as mobile advertising created new markets.

3G communication method

3G communication methods include W-CDMA, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA, etc. In Japan, NTT Docomo uses W-CDMA, au uses CDMA2000, and Softbank uses W-CDMA.
W-CDMA is a communication method mainly used in Europe and Japan.
CMDA2000 is primarily used in North America and South Korea, while TD-SCDMA is used in China. Each communication method has its own characteristics, and there are differences in communication speed and quality.

International Standard Specifications

3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) was established in 1998 by standardization organizations from various countries and regions with the aim of formulating international standard specifications for third-generation wireless communication methods (mobile phone systems). Initially, it consisted of standardization organizations from Europe, North America, Japan, and South Korea, but standardization organizations from China and India also joined, and it currently consists mainly of the following:

Reasons for 3G shutdown

3G lines have been a service provided for over 20 years, but will be discontinued mainly for the following reasons.

• The number of 3G contracts is decreasing due to the spread of LTE
• Aging network equipment
• The communication speed is slower than 4G/5G and is therefore impractical
• We want to allocate 3G frequency bands to 4G and 5G

Will 3G communication devices be usable after 3G is shut down?

Communication devices that only support 3G will no longer be usable after 3G is shut down.
3G/LTE compatible communication devices can communicate via LTE and can generally be used, but depending on the service you have subscribed to, communication may be interrupted, so you will need to check with your carrier.

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  3G-only communication devices

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  3G/LTE compatible communication device ^*

  • Depending on the service, communication may be interrupted, so please check with your carrier.

When will 3G be shut down in Japan?

The end dates for 3G services for each carrier are as follows:

Global 3G penetration rate

The 3G era in Japan was prosperous as it coincided with the growth period of the mobile internet, but globally, the telecommunications valve collapsed due to the soaring license fees in the frequency auction held in Europe in 2000, reducing the investment capacity of European telecommunications carriers. As a result, the 3G penetration rate is high in South Korea (99.3%), Japan (98.6%), Canada (90.7%) and the United States (74.9%), but it is below 50% in the three major European countries of the UK, Germany and France.