What is 3G? The third-generation mobile connection explained
3G is the third generation of mobile network technology, and the first to deliver true mobile internet. A 3G mobile connection must offer peak data rates of at least 200 kbit/s under the ITU’s IMT-2000 standard, which made web browsing, email and video calls practical on a phone. The first commercial 3G network was launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on 1 October 2001.
3G is fading fast. As of June 2026, the GSA counted 174 operators that have started a 3G shutdown, and 102 of them (about 59%) have finished.
Key takeaways:
- 3G launched commercially in Japan in 2001 and brought mobile internet, video calls and mobile TV.
- The ITU’s IMT-2000 sets a minimum peak rate of 200 kbit/s. HSPA upgrades went much higher on paper, but real-world speeds rarely passed 10 Mbps.
- The two main 3G families are UMTS (WCDMA) and CDMA2000.
- 3G is closing faster than 2G: 102 completed 3G shutdowns against 56 for 2G by June 2026.
- Older phones and connected devices may need an upgrade. SMS keeps working on every generation.
How does 3G work?
3G builds on the digital voice of 2G and adds faster, packet-based data. Instead of holding a line open, your phone’s data is split into packets and sent as needed, so you can stay online without tying up the network. 3G also uses wider radio channels than 2G, so more people can share the same spectrum.
There are two main families. UMTS, also called WCDMA, was developed by the 3GPP and evolved from GSM, and it was used across Europe, Japan and much of the world. CDMA2000 was developed by 3GPP2, evolved from cdmaOne, and was used in parts of North America and Asia.
What are the main features of 3G?
- Mobile internet: browsing the web and checking email on the move became practical. The GSMA lists wireless voice, mobile internet access, fixed wireless internet, video calls and mobile TV as 3G applications.
- Video calls: seeing the person you were talking to, on a phone.
- More capacity: the network could serve more users and more data than 2G, which helped drive mobile phone penetration and data use.
- A path to smartphones: 3G data speeds helped set the stage for the app-driven smartphone era.
- Faster upgrades: HSPA and HSPA+, sometimes nicknamed 3.5G, raised speeds without a new generation.
How fast is 3G?
To count as 3G under IMT-2000, a system must offer peak data rates of at least 200 kbit/s. HSPA+ upgrades pushed theoretical peaks as high as 168 Mbps, though real-world implementations rarely passed 10 Mbps. That is plenty for browsing and email, but far below what 4G and 5G deliver today.
3G vs 2G, 4G and 5G
- 2G (1991): digital voice, encryption and SMS, plus basic data with GPRS and EDGE.
- 3G (2001): true mobile internet and video calls, with a minimum peak rate of 200 kbit/s.
- 4G (around 2010): mobile broadband for streaming and apps. The ITU’s IMT-Advanced sets a peak rate of 1 Gbps.
- 5G (2019): the ITU’s IMT-2020 sets a peak rate of 20 Gbps and latency as low as 1 ms. See our guide to 5G use cases for business.
Curious where it goes next? Read about the evolution from 5G to 6G.
Is 3G being shut down?
Yes, operator by operator. Operators are reclaiming spectrum for 4G and 5G, which carry far more data in the same airwaves. By June 2026, the GSA counted 102 completed 3G shutdowns against 56 completed 2G shutdowns, so 3G is disappearing faster.
Recent examples include NTT Docomo closing its 3G service in Japan on 31 March 2026. Major US networks retired 3G by early 2023, and all major UK 3G networks are now off, according to a 2026 shutdown tracker. Dates vary by operator, not just by country, so always check your own.
What does the 3G shutdown mean for your business?
- Audit your devices. Find every phone, tracker, alarm and payment terminal that relies on 3G.
- Check voice calling. Older phones may need support for voice calls over 4G (VoLTE) once 3G is gone.
- Plan the move. Migrate connected devices to 4G, 5G, LTE-M or NB-IoT before your operator’s switch-off date.
- Choose channels that work everywhere. SMS reaches phones with no mobile data, while richer channels such as RCS and WhatsApp need a data connection.
3G, SMS and Infobip
SMS kept working through the move from 3G to 4G and 5G, and it still reaches almost any phone without mobile data. Infobip is a communications platform that combines SMS with richer channels such as RCS and WhatsApp, so businesses can reach customers on the best channel for their device and connection.
Conclusion
3G put the internet in our pockets. It turned phones from voice-and-text devices into tools for browsing, email and video calls, and it paved the way for the smartphone era.
Now operators are switching it off to make room for 4G and 5G. If you still depend on 3G devices, start planning your move, and if you want to reach every customer on any network, Infobip helps with SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and APIs on one communications platform.
FAQs
3G is the third generation of mobile network technology, and the first to deliver true mobile internet. It made web browsing, email and video calls practical on a phone. Its first commercial launch was by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on 1 October 2001, and it must meet the ITU’s IMT-2000 standard.
The first commercial 3G network was launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on 1 October 2001, after a pre-commercial trial earlier that year. European and US launches followed over the next few years, so 3G became widely available during the early 2000s and grew steadily after that.
To count as 3G under the ITU’s IMT-2000 standard, a system must offer peak data rates of at least 200 kbit/s. HSPA+ upgrades raised theoretical peaks as high as 168 Mbps, but real-world speeds rarely passed 10 Mbps, far below what 4G and 5G deliver today.
3G was built for mobile internet access and video calls, while 4G was built for full mobile broadband such as streaming and apps. The ITU’s IMT-Advanced standard for 4G targets a peak rate of 1 Gbps, compared with a minimum of 200 kbit/s for 3G.
In some countries, yes, but it is being retired operator by operator. By June 2026, the GSA counted 102 completed 3G shutdowns, and NTT Docomo closed its 3G service in Japan on 31 March 2026. Check your own operator’s switch-off date, because it varies even within a country.
Operators are switching off 3G to reclaim spectrum for 4G and 5G, which carry far more data in the same airwaves. 3G is closing faster than 2G, with 102 completed 3G shutdowns against 56 for 2G by June 2026, according to the GSA, so planning ahead matters.
The two main 3G families are UMTS, also called WCDMA, and CDMA2000. UMTS was developed by 3GPP and evolved from GSM, while CDMA2000 was developed by 3GPP2 and evolved from cdmaOne. Both were approved under the ITU’s IMT-2000 framework and were later upgraded with faster data options.
Possibly. Phones that only support 2G and 3G lose service when 3G closes. Some older 4G phones also need support for voice calls over 4G, known as VoLTE, because 3G carried their calls. Check with your operator before the switch-off date to avoid losing service.