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Understanding 3G: The Third Generation of Wireless Technology

wireless 3g mobile communication technology network

3G stands for 3rd generation. The primary goal of 3G wireless communication is to provide relatively high-speed wireless connectivity. This encompasses multimedia, data, and video applications, in addition to traditional voice services.

The ITU’s IMT-2000 initiative defines the ITU’s perspective on 3G capabilities as follows: 3G is the successor to both 1G and 2G systems. The 1G era began with the introduction of the AMPS network in 1980. 2G arrived with the launch of CDMA and GSM in 1990.

3G Technologies Source: rfwireless-world.com

As shown in the figure, 3G encompasses EDGE, EGPRS, WCDMA, HSPA, HSPA+, and CDMA2000 technologies. Key features of 3G include:

  • Voice quality comparable to traditional PSTN phone lines.
  • Data rates of 144kbps for users in fast-moving vehicles.
  • Data rates of 384kbps for pedestrians at low speeds.
  • Support for both symmetrical and asymmetrical data transmission.
  • Support for both packet-switched and circuit-switched services.
  • Flexibility to expand and incorporate new services and technologies in the future.

3GPP: The 3rd Generation Partnership Project

3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) was established in 1998. As the successor to GSM, its purpose is to promote and standardize 3G networks. Consequently, 3G technologies share some similarities with legacy technologies, but with significant speed enhancements.

3GPP technologies have evolved through several stages:

  • GPRS system: Up to 114 Kbps.
  • EDGE system: Speeds up to 384 Kbps.
  • UMTS WCDMA: Limited to 1.92 Mbps on the downlink.
  • HSDPA: Speeds up to 14 Mbps.
  • E-UTRA: Speeds up to 100 Mbps.

3GPP2: Transitioning CDMA2000 to 3G

To facilitate the transition from CDMA 2000 to 3G, 3GPP2 was formed. 3GPP2 includes EVDO and UMB technologies.

It’s worth noting that 4G technologies are essentially extensions of 3G. For example, LTE evolved from 3GPP, and UMB evolved from 3GPP2. This makes it sometimes challenging to definitively classify technologies as either 3G or 4G. Future broadband mobile technologies are generally referred to as IMT-Advanced, more commonly known as 4G.