3G

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The “third generation" of mobile data technology goes beyond the capabilities of 2G, which only handled calls, the sending of small data amounts, and basic text messaging. 3G exponentially increased the amount of data formats that could be sent (e.g. HTML, music, and videos).

3G operates using code-division multiple access (CDMA). Its basic idea is that different individuals can use the same radio frequencies at the same time. It splits up calls up into pieces of code- with each piece identifying where the call is going and where it is coming from. It operates similarly to how information travels across the internet. 3G can increase phone system capacity 10-20 percent. Numerous frequency variations have been developed to improve and speed up this data transfer with less interference.