3G
3G is a specification developed by the International Telecommunication Union for the third generation of mobile communications technology (analog cellular was the first generation, digital PCS the second).
3G digital cellular technology promises increased bandwidth: up to 384K bit/sec when a device is stationary or moving at pedestrian speed, 128K bit/sec in a car, and 2M bit/sec in fixed applications.
Current circuit-switched GSM networks transmit data at 9.6K bit/sec or up to 43.2K bit/sec using multitime slot high-speed circuit switched data (HSCSD) upgrades. GSM's 3G counterpart, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), offers much higher data speeds. WCDMA can support mobile voice, images, data and video communications at up to 2M bit/sec (local-area access) or 384K bit/sec (wide-area access). The input signals are digitized and transmitted in a coded, spread-spectrum mode over a range of frequencies. A 5 MHz-wide carrier is used, compared with 200 KHz-wide carrier for narrowband CDMA.
From Talking about the third generation, Network World Tech Update, 06/11/01.
Additional resources
3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
3G Today
3G news and newsletters.
Breaking 3G news
Latest news and analysis from Network World.
Wireless / Mobile Research Center
Latest news and resources from Network World.
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