3G

3G is the third generation technology standard for  s, succeeding 2G, GPRS, and EDGE for faster data transfer. This is based on a set of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunications use services and networks that comply with the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications by the. 3G finds application in wireless voice telephony, access, fixed wireless Internet access, video calls and mobile TV.

History
3G telecommunication networks support services that provide an information transfer rate of at least 144 kbit/s. Later 3G releases, often denoted (HSPA) and  (HSPA+), also provide  access of several Mbit/s to s and s in laptop computers. This ensures it can be applied to wireless voice telephony, mobile Internet access, fixed wireless Internet access, video calls and mobile TV technologies. However, in early 2012, was criticized for marketing their HSPA+ infrastructure as "4G" for iPhone 4S.

Deployment
A new generation of cellular standards has appeared approximately every tenth year since 1G systems were introduced in 1979 and the early to mid-1980s. Each generation is characterized by new frequency bands, higher data rates and non–backward-compatible transmission technology. The first commercial 3G networks were introduced in mid 2001.

Japan was one of the first countries to adopt 3G, the reason being the process of 3G spectrum allocation, which in Japan was awarded without much upfront cost. Frequency spectrum was allocated in the US and Europe based on auctioning, thereby requiring a huge initial investment for any company wishing to provide 3G services. European companies collectively paid over 100 billion dollars in their spectrum auctions.

The iPhone 3G, released in July 2008, was the first Apple device to support 3G connectivity. In September 2012, Apple introduced the iPhone 5, the first model with support for 4G LTE.