<s>
3G	B-Architecture
is	O
the	O
third	O
generation	O
of	O
wireless	O
mobile	O
telecommunications	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
upgrade	O
over	O
2G	O
,	O
2.5G	O
,	O
GPRS	B-General_Concept
and	O
2.75G	O
Enhanced	O
Data	O
Rates	O
for	O
GSM	O
Evolution	O
networks	O
,	O
offering	O
faster	O
data	O
transfer	O
,	O
and	O
better	O
voice	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
network	O
was	O
superseded	O
by	O
4G	B-Architecture
,	O
and	O
later	O
on	O
by	O
5G	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
network	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
standards	O
used	O
for	O
mobile	O
devices	O
and	O
mobile	O
telecommunications	O
use	O
services	O
and	O
networks	O
that	O
comply	O
with	O
the	O
International	B-Architecture
Mobile	I-Architecture
Telecommunications-2000	I-Architecture
(	O
IMT-2000	O
)	O
specifications	O
by	O
the	O
International	O
Telecommunication	O
Union	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
finds	O
application	O
in	O
wireless	O
voice	O
telephony	O
,	O
mobile	B-Application
Internet	I-Application
access	O
,	O
fixed	O
wireless	O
Internet	O
access	O
,	O
video	O
calls	O
and	O
mobile	O
TV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
telecommunication	O
networks	O
support	O
services	O
that	O
provide	O
an	O
information	O
transfer	O
rate	O
of	O
at	O
least	O
144	O
kbit/s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
3G	B-Architecture
releases	O
,	O
often	O
denoted	O
3.5G	O
and	O
3.75G	O
,	O
also	O
provide	O
mobile	B-Application
broadband	I-Application
access	O
of	O
several	O
Mbit/s	B-Application
to	O
smartphones	B-Application
and	O
mobile	B-Device
modems	I-Device
in	O
laptop	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
ensures	O
it	O
can	O
be	O
applied	O
to	O
wireless	O
voice	O
calls	O
,	O
mobile	B-Application
Internet	I-Application
access	O
,	O
fixed	O
wireless	O
Internet	O
access	O
,	O
video	O
calls	O
and	O
mobile	O
TV	O
technologies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
were	O
introduced	O
in	O
mid-2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
telecommunications	O
companies	O
market	O
wireless	O
mobile	B-Application
Internet	I-Application
services	O
as	O
3G	B-Architecture
,	O
indicating	O
that	O
the	O
advertised	O
service	O
is	O
provided	O
over	O
a	O
3G	B-Architecture
wireless	I-Architecture
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Services	O
advertised	O
as	O
3G	B-Architecture
are	O
required	O
to	O
meet	O
IMT-2000	O
technical	O
standards	O
,	O
including	O
standards	O
for	O
reliability	O
and	O
speed	O
(	O
data	O
transfer	O
rates	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
many	O
services	O
advertised	O
as	O
3G	B-Architecture
provide	O
higher	O
speed	O
than	O
the	O
minimum	O
technical	O
requirements	O
for	O
a	O
3G	B-Architecture
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequent	O
3G	B-Architecture
releases	O
,	O
denoted	O
3.5G	O
and	O
3.75G	O
,	O
provided	O
mobile	B-Application
broadband	I-Application
access	O
of	O
several	O
Mbit/s	B-Application
for	O
smartphones	B-Application
and	O
mobile	B-Device
modems	I-Device
in	O
laptop	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
branded	O
standards	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
(	O
Universal	B-Protocol
Mobile	I-Protocol
Telecommunications	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
)	O
system	O
,	O
standardized	O
by	O
3GPP	O
in	O
2001	O
,	O
was	O
used	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
Japan	O
,	O
China	O
(	O
with	O
a	O
different	O
radio	O
interface	O
)	O
and	O
other	O
regions	O
predominated	O
by	O
GSM	O
(	O
Global	O
Systems	O
for	O
Mobile	O
)	O
2G	O
system	O
infrastructure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cell	O
phones	O
are	O
typically	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
and	O
GSM	O
hybrids	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
latest	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
release	O
,	O
HSPA+	O
,	O
can	O
provide	O
peak	O
data	O
rates	O
up	O
to	O
56Mbit/s	O
in	O
the	O
downlink	O
in	O
theory	O
(	O
28Mbit/s	O
in	O
existing	O
services	O
)	O
and	O
22Mbit/s	O
in	O
the	O
uplink	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
B	O
offers	O
peak	O
rates	O
of	O
14.7	O
Mbit/s	B-Application
downstream	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3G	B-Architecture
systems	O
and	O
radio	O
interfaces	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
spread	B-Architecture
spectrum	I-Architecture
radio	O
transmission	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
GSM	O
EDGE	O
standard	O
(	O
"	O
2.9G	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
DECT	B-Protocol
cordless	O
phones	O
and	O
Mobile	O
WiMAX	O
standards	O
formally	O
also	O
fulfill	O
the	O
IMT-2000	O
requirements	O
and	O
are	O
approved	O
as	O
3G	B-Architecture
standards	O
by	O
ITU	O
,	O
these	O
are	O
typically	O
not	O
branded	O
as	O
3G	B-Architecture
and	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
completely	O
different	O
technologies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
common	O
standards	O
complying	O
with	O
the	O
IMT2000/3G	O
standard	O
are	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
EDGE	O
,	O
a	O
revision	O
by	O
the	O
3GPP	O
organization	O
to	O
the	O
older	O
2G	O
GSM	O
based	O
transmission	O
methods	O
,	O
which	O
utilizes	O
the	O
same	O
switching	O
nodes	O
,	O
base	O
station	O
sites	O
,	O
and	O
frequencies	O
as	O
GPRS	B-General_Concept
,	O
but	O
includes	O
a	O
new	O
base	O
station	O
and	O
cellphone	O
RF	O
circuits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EDGE	O
combined	O
with	O
the	O
GPRS	B-General_Concept
2.5G	O
technology	O
is	O
called	O
EGPRS	O
,	O
and	O
allows	O
peak	O
data	O
rates	O
in	O
the	O
order	O
of	O
200	O
kbit/s	O
,	O
just	O
like	O
the	O
original	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
WCDMA	O
versions	O
and	O
thus	O
formally	O
fulfill	O
the	O
IMT2000	B-Architecture
requirements	O
on	O
3G	B-Architecture
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
practice	O
,	O
EDGE	O
is	O
seldom	O
marketed	O
as	O
a	O
3G	B-Architecture
system	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
2.9G	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EDGE	O
shows	O
slightly	O
better	O
system	O
spectral	O
efficiency	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
and	O
CDMA2000	O
systems	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
is	O
difficult	O
to	O
reach	O
much	O
higher	O
peak	O
data	O
rates	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
limited	O
GSM	O
spectral	O
bandwidth	O
of	O
200kHz	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
thus	O
a	O
dead	O
end	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Evolved	O
EDGE	O
,	O
the	O
latest	O
revision	O
,	O
has	O
peaks	O
of	O
1	O
Mbit/s	B-Application
downstream	O
and	O
400	O
kbit/s	O
upstream	O
but	O
is	O
not	O
commercially	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Universal	B-Protocol
Mobile	I-Protocol
Telecommunications	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
,	O
created	O
and	O
revised	O
by	O
the	O
3GPP	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
family	O
is	O
a	O
full	O
revision	O
from	O
GSM	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
encoding	O
methods	O
and	O
hardware	O
,	O
although	O
some	O
GSM	O
sites	O
can	O
be	O
retrofitted	O
to	O
broadcast	O
in	O
the	O
UMTS/W	O
-CDMA	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
DECT	B-Protocol
cordless	O
phones	O
and	O
Mobile	O
WiMAX	O
standards	O
formally	O
also	O
fulfill	O
the	O
IMT-2000	O
requirements	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
not	O
usually	O
considered	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
rarity	O
and	O
unsuitability	O
for	O
usage	O
with	O
mobile	O
phones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3G	B-Architecture
(	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
and	O
CDMA2000	O
)	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
projects	O
started	O
in	O
1992	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cell	O
phones	O
use	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
in	O
combination	O
with	O
2G	O
GSM	O
standards	O
and	O
bandwidths	O
,	O
but	O
do	O
not	O
support	O
EDGE	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
latter	O
group	O
is	O
the	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
family	O
,	O
which	O
consists	O
of	O
standards	O
developed	O
for	O
IMT-2000	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
independently	O
developed	O
standards	O
DECT	B-Protocol
and	O
WiMAX	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
included	O
because	O
they	O
fit	O
the	O
IMT-2000	O
definition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
EDGE	O
fulfills	O
the	O
3G	B-Architecture
specifications	O
,	O
most	O
GSM/UMTS	O
phones	O
report	O
EDGE	O
(	O
"	O
2.75G	O
"	O
)	O
and	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
(	O
"	O
3G	B-Architecture
"	O
)	O
functionality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
technology	I-Architecture
was	O
the	O
result	O
of	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
work	O
carried	O
out	O
by	O
the	O
International	O
Telecommunication	O
Union	O
(	O
ITU	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
1980s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
specifications	O
and	O
standards	O
were	O
developed	O
in	O
fifteen	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
communication	O
spectrum	O
between	O
400MHz	O
to	O
3GHz	O
was	O
allocated	O
for	O
3G	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
the	O
government	O
and	O
communication	O
companies	O
approved	O
the	O
3G	B-Architecture
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
pre-commercial	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
was	O
launched	O
by	O
NTT	O
DoCoMo	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
branded	O
as	O
FOMA	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
launch	O
of	O
3G	B-Architecture
was	O
also	O
by	O
NTT	O
DoCoMo	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
1	O
October	O
2001	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
was	O
initially	O
somewhat	O
limited	O
in	O
scope	O
;	O
broader	O
availability	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
was	O
delayed	O
by	O
apparent	O
concerns	O
over	O
its	O
reliability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
European	O
pre-commercial	O
network	O
was	O
an	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
network	O
on	O
the	O
Isle	O
of	O
Man	O
by	O
Manx	O
Telecom	O
,	O
the	O
operator	O
then	O
owned	O
by	O
British	O
Telecom	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
commercial	O
network	O
(	O
also	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
based	O
W-CDMA	O
)	O
in	O
Europe	O
was	O
opened	O
for	O
business	O
by	O
Telenor	O
in	O
December	O
2001	O
with	O
no	O
commercial	O
handsets	O
and	O
thus	O
no	O
paying	O
customers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
May	O
2002	O
,	O
the	O
second	O
South	O
Korean	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
was	O
by	O
KT	O
on	O
EV-DO	O
and	O
thus	O
the	O
South	O
Koreans	O
were	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
see	O
competition	O
among	O
3G	B-Architecture
operators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
United	O
States	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
was	O
by	O
Monet	O
Mobile	O
Networks	O
,	O
on	O
CDMA2000	O
1x	O
EV-DO	O
technology	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
network	O
provider	O
later	O
shut	O
down	O
operations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
operator	O
in	O
the	O
USA	O
was	O
Verizon	B-Application
Wireless	I-Application
in	O
July	O
2002	O
,	O
also	O
on	O
CDMA2000	O
1x	O
EV-DO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AT&T	O
Mobility	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
true	O
3G	B-Architecture
UMTS	B-Protocol
network	O
,	O
having	O
completed	O
its	O
upgrade	O
of	O
the	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
to	O
HSUPA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
was	O
started	O
by	O
Hutchison	O
Telecom	O
which	O
was	O
originally	O
behind	O
Orange	O
S.A.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2003	O
,	O
it	O
announced	O
first	O
commercial	O
third	O
generation	O
or	O
3G	B-Architecture
mobile	I-Architecture
phone	O
network	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
pre-commercial	O
demonstration	O
network	O
in	O
the	O
southern	O
hemisphere	O
was	O
built	O
in	O
Adelaide	O
,	O
South	O
Australia	O
,	O
by	O
m.Net	O
Corporation	O
in	O
February	O
2002	O
using	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
on	O
2100MHz	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
was	O
launched	O
by	O
Hutchison	O
Telecommunications	O
branded	O
as	O
Three	O
or	O
"	O
3	O
"	O
in	O
June	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
India	O
,	O
on	O
11	O
December	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
3G	B-Architecture
mobile	I-Architecture
and	O
internet	O
services	O
were	O
launched	O
by	O
a	O
state-owned	O
company	O
,	O
Mahanagar	O
Telecom	O
Nigam	O
Limited	O
(	O
MTNL	O
)	O
,	O
within	O
the	O
metropolitan	O
cities	O
of	O
Delhi	O
and	O
Mumbai	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
MTNL	O
,	O
another	O
state-owned	O
company	O
,	O
Bharat	O
Sanchar	O
Nigam	O
Limited	O
(	O
BSNL	O
)	O
,	O
began	O
deploying	O
the	O
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
country-wide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Emtel	O
launched	O
the	O
first	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
in	O
Africa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japan	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
countries	O
to	O
adopt	O
3G	B-Architecture
,	O
the	O
reason	O
being	O
the	O
process	O
of	O
3G	B-Architecture
spectrum	O
allocation	O
,	O
which	O
in	O
Japan	O
was	O
awarded	O
without	O
much	O
upfront	O
cost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
frequency	O
spectrum	O
was	O
allocated	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
and	O
Europe	O
based	O
on	O
auctioning	O
,	O
thereby	O
requiring	O
a	O
huge	O
initial	O
investment	O
for	O
any	O
company	O
wishing	O
to	O
provide	O
3G	B-Architecture
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nepal	O
Telecom	O
adopted	O
3G	B-Architecture
Service	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
in	O
southern	O
Asia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
its	O
3G	B-Architecture
was	O
relatively	O
slow	O
to	O
be	O
adopted	O
in	O
Nepal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
instances	O
,	O
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
do	O
not	O
use	O
the	O
same	O
radio	O
frequencies	O
as	O
2G	O
,	O
so	O
mobile	O
operators	O
must	O
build	O
entirely	O
new	O
networks	O
and	O
license	O
entirely	O
new	O
frequencies	O
,	O
especially	O
to	O
achieve	O
high	O
data	O
transmission	O
rates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
countries	O
 '	O
delays	O
were	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
expenses	O
of	O
upgrading	O
transmission	O
hardware	O
,	O
especially	O
for	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
,	O
whose	O
deployment	O
required	O
the	O
replacement	O
of	O
most	O
broadcast	O
towers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2007	O
,	O
190	O
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
were	O
operating	O
in	O
40	O
countries	O
and	O
154	O
HSDPA	O
networks	O
were	O
operating	O
in	O
71	O
countries	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
Global	O
Mobile	O
Suppliers	O
Association	O
(	O
GSA	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Asia	O
,	O
Europe	O
,	O
Canada	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
US	O
,	O
telecommunication	O
companies	O
use	O
W-CDMA	O
technology	O
with	O
the	O
support	O
of	O
around	O
100	O
terminal	O
designs	O
to	O
operate	O
3G	B-Architecture
mobile	I-Architecture
networks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
roll-out	O
of	O
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
was	O
delayed	O
by	O
the	O
enormous	O
costs	O
of	O
additional	O
spectrum	O
licensing	O
fees	O
in	O
some	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
license	O
fees	O
in	O
some	O
European	O
countries	O
were	O
particularly	O
high	O
,	O
bolstered	O
by	O
government	O
auctions	O
of	O
a	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
licenses	O
and	O
sealed	O
bid	O
auctions	O
,	O
and	O
initial	O
excitement	O
over	O
3G	B-Architecture
's	O
potential	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
led	O
to	O
a	O
telecoms	O
crash	O
that	O
ran	O
concurrently	O
with	O
similar	O
crashes	O
in	O
the	O
fibre-optic	B-Protocol
and	O
dot.com	O
fields	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3G	B-Architecture
standard	O
is	O
perhaps	O
well	O
known	O
because	O
of	O
a	O
massive	O
expansion	O
of	O
the	O
mobile	O
communications	O
market	O
post-2G	O
and	O
advances	O
of	O
the	O
consumer	O
mobile	O
phone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
especially	O
notable	O
development	O
during	O
this	O
time	O
is	O
the	O
smartphone	B-Application
(	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
family	O
)	O
,	O
combining	O
the	O
abilities	O
of	O
a	O
PDA	O
with	O
a	O
mobile	O
phone	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
widespread	O
demand	O
for	O
mobile	B-Application
internet	I-Application
connectivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
has	O
also	O
introduced	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
mobile	B-Application
broadband	I-Application
"	O
because	O
its	O
speed	O
and	O
capability	O
made	O
it	O
a	O
viable	O
alternative	O
for	O
internet	O
browsing	O
,	O
and	O
USB	B-Device
Modems	I-Device
connecting	O
to	O
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
,	O
and	O
now	O
4G	B-Architecture
became	O
increasingly	O
common	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
June	O
2007	O
,	O
the	O
200	O
millionth	O
3G	B-Architecture
subscriber	O
had	O
been	O
connected	O
of	O
which	O
10	O
million	O
were	O
in	O
Nepal	O
and	O
8.2	O
million	O
in	O
India	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
When	O
counting	O
CDMA2000	O
1x	O
RTT	O
customers	O
—	O
max	O
bitrate	O
72%	O
of	O
the	O
200	O
kbit/s	O
which	O
defines	O
3G	B-Architecture
—	O
the	O
total	O
size	O
of	O
the	O
nearly-3G	O
subscriber	O
base	O
was	O
475	O
million	O
as	O
of	O
June	O
2007	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
15.8	O
%	O
of	O
all	O
subscribers	O
worldwide	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
countries	O
where	O
3G	B-Architecture
was	O
launched	O
first	O
–	O
Japan	O
and	O
South	O
Korea	O
–	O
3G	B-Architecture
penetration	O
is	O
over	O
70%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Europe	O
the	O
leading	O
country	O
for	O
3G	B-Architecture
penetration	O
is	O
Italy	O
with	O
a	O
third	O
of	O
its	O
subscribers	O
migrated	O
to	O
3G	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
leading	O
countries	O
for	O
3G	B-Architecture
use	O
include	O
Nepal	O
,	O
UK	O
,	O
Austria	O
,	O
Australia	O
and	O
Singapore	O
at	O
the	O
32%	O
migration	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Note	O
however	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
a	O
distinction	O
between	O
a	O
phone	O
with	O
mobile-broadband	O
connectivity	O
and	O
a	O
smart	B-Application
phone	I-Application
with	O
a	O
large	O
display	O
and	O
so	O
on	O
—	O
although	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
ITU	O
and	O
informatandm.com	O
the	O
USA	O
has	O
321	O
million	O
mobile	O
subscriptions	O
,	O
including	O
256	O
million	O
that	O
are	O
3G	B-Architecture
or	O
4G	B-Architecture
,	O
which	O
is	O
both	O
80%	O
of	O
the	O
subscriber	O
base	O
and	O
80%	O
of	O
the	O
USA	O
population	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
ComScore	O
just	O
a	O
year	O
earlier	O
in	O
Q4	O
2011	O
only	O
about	O
42%	O
of	O
people	O
surveyed	O
in	O
the	O
USA	O
reported	O
they	O
owned	O
a	O
smart	B-Application
phone	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
3G	B-Architecture
penetration	O
was	O
similar	O
at	O
about	O
81%	O
,	O
but	O
smart	B-Application
phone	I-Application
ownership	O
was	O
lower	O
at	O
about	O
17%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
China	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
486.5	O
million	O
3G	B-Architecture
subscribers	O
in	O
June	O
2014	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
population	O
of	O
1,385,566,537	O
(	O
2013	O
UN	O
estimate	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
increasing	O
adoption	O
of	O
4G	B-Architecture
networks	O
across	O
the	O
globe	O
,	O
3G	B-Architecture
use	O
has	O
been	O
in	O
decline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
operators	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
have	O
already	O
or	O
are	O
in	O
the	O
process	O
of	O
shutting	O
down	O
their	O
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
(	O
see	O
table	O
below	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
several	O
places	O
,	O
3G	B-Architecture
is	O
being	O
shut	O
down	O
while	O
its	O
older	O
predecessor	O
2G	O
is	O
being	O
kept	O
in	O
operation	O
;	O
Vodafone	O
Europe	O
is	O
doing	O
this	O
,	O
citing	O
2G	O
's	O
usefulness	O
as	O
a	O
low-power	O
fall-back	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EE	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
have	O
indicated	O
that	O
they	O
plan	O
to	O
phase	O
out	O
3G	B-Architecture
by	O
2023	O
with	O
the	O
spectrum	O
being	O
used	O
to	O
enhance	O
5G	O
capacity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
US	O
,	O
Verizon	B-Application
was	O
planning	O
to	O
shut	O
down	O
its	O
3G	B-Architecture
services	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2020	O
(	O
later	O
delayed	O
to	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2022	O
)	O
,	O
while	O
T-Mobile/Sprint	O
is	O
planning	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
on	O
,	O
and	O
AT&T	O
is	O
planning	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
in	O
February	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Currently	O
3G	B-Architecture
around	O
the	O
world	O
is	O
declining	O
in	O
availability	O
and	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Technology	O
that	O
depends	O
on	O
3G	B-Architecture
for	O
usage	O
will	O
soon	O
become	O
inoperable	O
in	O
many	O
places	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
European	O
Union	O
plans	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
member	O
countries	O
maintain	O
2G	O
networks	O
as	O
a	O
fallback	O
,	O
so	O
3G	B-Architecture
devices	O
that	O
are	O
backwards	O
compatible	O
with	O
2G	O
frequencies	O
can	O
continue	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
countries	O
that	O
plan	O
to	O
decommission	O
2G	O
networks	O
as	O
well	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
devices	O
supporting	O
only	O
3G	B-Architecture
and	O
backwards	O
compatible	O
with	O
2G	O
will	O
soon	O
be	O
inoperable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
February	O
2022	O
,	O
less	O
than	O
1%	O
of	O
cell	O
phone	O
customers	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
used	O
3G	B-Architecture
;	O
AT&T	O
offered	O
free	O
replacement	O
devices	O
to	O
some	O
customers	O
in	O
the	O
run-up	O
to	O
its	O
shutdown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
then	O
,	O
some	O
patents	O
essential	O
to	O
3G	B-Architecture
might	O
not	O
have	O
been	O
declared	O
by	O
their	O
patent	O
holders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Furthermore	O
,	O
the	O
existing	O
3G	B-Architecture
Patent	O
Platform	O
Partnership	O
Patent	O
pool	O
has	O
little	O
impact	O
on	O
FRAND	O
protection	O
because	O
it	O
excludes	O
the	O
four	O
largest	O
patent	O
owners	O
for	O
3G	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
ITU	O
has	O
not	O
provided	O
a	O
clear	O
definition	O
of	O
the	O
data	O
rate	O
that	O
users	O
can	O
expect	O
from	O
3G	B-Architecture
equipment	O
or	O
providers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
users	O
sold	O
3G	B-Architecture
service	O
may	O
not	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
point	O
to	O
a	O
standard	O
and	O
say	O
that	O
the	O
rates	O
it	O
specifies	O
are	O
not	O
being	O
met	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
stating	O
in	O
commentary	O
that	O
"	O
it	O
is	O
expected	O
that	O
IMT-2000	O
will	O
provide	O
higher	O
transmission	O
rates	O
:	O
a	O
minimum	O
data	O
rate	O
of	O
2Mbit/s	O
for	O
stationary	O
or	O
walking	O
users	O
,	O
and	O
348kbit/s	O
in	O
a	O
moving	O
vehicle	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
ITU	O
does	O
not	O
actually	O
clearly	O
specify	O
minimum	O
required	O
rates	O
,	O
nor	O
required	O
average	O
rates	O
,	O
nor	O
what	O
modes	O
of	O
the	O
interfaces	O
qualify	O
as	O
3G	B-Architecture
,	O
so	O
various	O
data	O
rates	O
are	O
sold	O
as	O
'	O
3G	B-Architecture
 '	O
in	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
market	O
implementation	O
,	O
3G	B-Architecture
downlink	O
data	O
speeds	O
defined	O
by	O
telecom	O
service	O
providers	O
vary	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
underlying	O
technology	O
deployed	O
;	O
up	O
to	O
384kbit/s	O
for	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
(	O
WCDMA	O
)	O
,	O
up	O
to	O
7.2Mbit/sec	O
for	O
HSPA	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
theoretical	O
maximum	O
of	O
21.1	O
Mbit/s	B-Application
for	O
HSPA+	O
and	O
42.2	O
Mbit/s	B-Application
for	O
DC-HSPA	O
+	O
(	O
technically	O
3.5G	O
,	O
but	O
usually	O
clubbed	O
under	O
the	O
tradename	O
of	O
3G	B-Architecture
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compare	O
data	O
speeds	O
with	O
3.5G	O
and	O
4G	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
offer	O
greater	O
security	O
than	O
their	O
2G	O
predecessors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3G	B-Architecture
networks	I-Architecture
use	O
the	O
KASUMI	B-Algorithm
block	O
cipher	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
older	O
A5/1	B-Algorithm
stream	B-Algorithm
cipher	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
serious	O
weaknesses	O
in	O
the	O
KASUMI	B-Algorithm
cipher	O
have	O
been	O
identified	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
infrastructure	O
security	O
,	O
end-to-end	O
security	O
is	O
offered	O
when	O
application	O
frameworks	O
such	O
as	O
IMS	O
are	O
accessed	O
,	O
although	O
this	O
is	O
not	O
strictly	O
a	O
3G	B-Architecture
property	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
bandwidth	O
and	O
location	O
information	O
available	O
to	O
3G	B-Architecture
devices	O
gives	O
rise	O
to	O
applications	O
not	O
previously	O
available	O
to	O
mobile	O
phone	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
became	O
possible	O
to	O
conveniently	O
surf	O
the	O
internet	O
on	O
a	O
3G	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
on	O
the	O
go	O
with	O
minimum	O
hassle	O
,	O
and	O
do	O
many	O
other	O
tasks	O
previously	O
a	O
slow	O
and	O
difficult	O
hassle	O
on	O
2G	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
3GPP	O
and	O
3GPP2	O
are	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
extensions	O
to	O
3G	B-Architecture
standards	O
that	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
an	O
all-IP	B-Protocol
network	I-Protocol
infrastructure	I-Protocol
and	O
using	O
advanced	O
wireless	O
technologies	O
such	O
as	O
MIMO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
specifications	O
already	O
display	O
features	O
characteristic	O
for	O
IMT-Advanced	O
(	O
4G	B-Architecture
)	O
,	O
the	O
successor	O
of	O
3G	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
falling	O
short	O
of	O
the	O
bandwidth	O
requirements	O
for	O
4G	B-Architecture
(	O
which	O
is	O
1	O
Gbit/s	O
for	O
stationary	O
and	O
100	O
Mbit/s	B-Application
for	O
mobile	O
operation	O
)	O
,	O
these	O
standards	O
are	O
classified	O
as	O
3.9G	O
or	O
Pre-4G	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
3GPP	O
plans	O
to	O
meet	O
the	O
4G	B-Architecture
goals	O
with	O
LTE	O
Advanced	O
,	O
whereas	O
Qualcomm	O
has	O
halted	O
UMB	O
development	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
the	O
LTE	O
family	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
14	O
December	O
2009	O
,	O
TeliaSonera	O
announced	O
in	O
an	O
official	O
press	O
release	O
that	O
"	O
We	O
are	O
very	O
proud	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
operator	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
to	O
offer	O
our	O
customers	O
4G	B-Architecture
services.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
their	O
LTE	O
network	O
,	O
initially	O
they	O
are	O
offering	O
pre-4G	O
(	O
or	O
beyond	B-Architecture
3G	I-Architecture
)	O
services	O
in	O
Stockholm	O
,	O
Sweden	O
and	O
Oslo	O
,	O
Norway	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
+	O
Country	O
Network	O
Shutdown	O
date	O
Standard	O
Notes	O
Personal	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Optus	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telstra	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
TPG	O
Telecom	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Magenta	O
Telekom	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Orange	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telenet	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Proximus	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Bell	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Rogers	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telus	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
China	O
Mobile	O
TD-SCDMA	O
China	O
Telecom	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
China	O
Unicom	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
O2	O
2021-11-30	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telekom	O
2021-11-30	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
2021-03-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telenor	O
Denmark	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Tele2	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telia	O
Eesti	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Bouygues	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Orange	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
SFR	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Deutsche	O
Telekom	O
2021-07-01	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
O2	O
2021-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
2021-06-30	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Cosmote	O
2021-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
NOVA	O
/	O
Wind	O
Hellas	O
2023-03-27	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Tusass	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Magyar	O
Telekom	O
2022-06-30	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Yettel	O
Hungary	O
2023-03-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
Hungary	O
2023-03-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Airtel	O
2020-03-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
Idea	O
2022-10-06	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Complete	O
network	O
refarming	O
to	O
4G/LTE	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Telkomsel	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Indosat	O
2022-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
XL	O
Axiata	O
2022-03-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
per	O
government	O
statement	O
Vodafone	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
per	O
government	O
statement	O
TIM	O
2022-10-21	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
2021-02-28	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
KDDI	O
2022-03-31	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
NTT	O
docomo	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Softbank	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telia	O
2022-12-15	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Orange	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Tango	O
/	O
Telindus	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Celcom	O
2021-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Maxis	O
2021-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
U	O
Mobile	O
2021-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Digi	O
2021-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
KPN	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
2020-02-04	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Spark	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telia	O
2021-11-11	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telenor	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Omantel	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
T-Mobile	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Orange	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Smart	O
(	O
PLDT	O
)	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Digi	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Orange	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telekom	O
2023-03-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Beeline	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
MTS	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
stc	O
2022-12-31	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Orange	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Telekom	O
Slovenije	O
2022-09-30	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
per	O
government	O
statement	O
KT	O
2012-03-19	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
was	O
also	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
2G	O
"	O
in	O
South	O
Korea	O
,	O
besides	O
cdmaOne	O
(	O
IS-95	O
)	O
.KT	O
also	O
operates	O
an	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
"	O
3G	B-Architecture
"	O
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
LG	O
U+	O
2021-06-30	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
SK	O
Telecom	O
2020-07-27	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
was	O
also	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
2G	O
"	O
in	O
South	O
Korea	O
,	O
besides	O
cdmaOne	O
(	O
IS-95	O
)	O
.SKT	O
also	O
operates	O
an	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
"	O
3G	B-Architecture
"	O
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Orange	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Airtel	O
2022-06-12	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Dialog	O
Axiata	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Asia	O
Pacific	O
Telecom	O
2017-12-31	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
Chunghwa	O
TelecomFar	O
EasToneTaiwan	O
MobileTaiwan	O
Star	O
2018-12-31	O
per	O
government	O
statement	O
per	O
government	O
statement	O
EE	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Three	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Vodafone	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Appalachian	O
Wireless	O
2023-01-03	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
AT&T	O
2022-02-22	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Cellcom	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
Liberty	O
2022-02-22	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
Silver	O
Star	O
2022-12-30	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
T-Mobile	O
2022-07-01	O
UMTS	B-Protocol
T-Mobile	O
(	O
Sprint	O
)	O
2022-05-31	O
CDMA2000	O
1xEV-DO	O
Shutdown	O
commenced	O
on	O
31	O
Mar	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
