What is 3G?

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A radio communications technology, that will create a "bit pipe" for providing mobile access to internet-based services. It will enhance and extend mobility in many areas of our lives.
In the near future, mobility won't be an add-on: it will become a fundamental aspect of many services. We'll expect high-speed access to the internet, entertainment, information and electronic commerce (e-commerce) services wherever we are - not just at our desktop computers, home PCs or television sets.
3G services will add an invaluable mobile dimension to services that are already becoming an integral part of modern business life: Internet and Intranet access, video-conferencing, and interactive application sharing.

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2G Service: The technology of most current digital mobile phones
Features includes:
- Phone calls
- Voice mail
- Receive simple email messages
Speed: 10kb/sec
Time to download a 3min MP3 song: 31 to 41 min
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2.5G Service: The best technology now widely available
Features includes:
- Phone calls/fax
- Voice mail
-Send/receive large email messages
- Web browsings
- Navigation/maps
- New updates
Speed: 64-144kb/sec
Time to download a 3min MP3 song: 6 to 9 min
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3G Service: Combines a mobile phone, laptop PC and TV
Features includes:
- Phone calls/fax
- Global roaming
- Send/receive large email messages
- High-speed Web Navigation/maps and Videoconferencing
- TV streaming
- Electronic agenda meeting reminder.
Speed: 144kb/sec-2mb/sec
Time to download a 3min MP3 song: 11 sec to 1.5 min
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3G is the THIRD GENERATION of TELECOMMUNICATION hardware standards and general technology for mobile networking, superseding 2.5G. It is based on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) family of standards under the IMT-2000.[1]

3G networks enable network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephone, video calls, and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile environment. Additional features also include HSPA data transmission capabilities, which provides users with data rates up to 14.4 Mbit/s on the downlink and 5.8 Mbit/s on the uplink.

Unlike IEEE 802.11 networks, which are commonly called Wi-Fi or WLAN networks, 3G networks are wide-area cellular telephone networks which provide High-speed Internet access and video telephony to 3G Network subscribers.[2]. IEEE 802.11 networks are short range, high-bandwidth networks primarily developed for data.