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3rd Generation Mobile

3G (3rd Generation) is the mobile standard launched commercially by NTT Docomo in 2001 as "FOMA," the world's first. With dramatically faster data (up to 14Mbps down) than 2G, it enabled i-mode mobile internet, ringtone downloads, and video calling.

3G underpinned Japan's feature phone golden age. Osaifu-Keitai, One Seg, and infrared communication flourished on 3G networks. Voice calls used circuit switching, processed separately from data.

3G shutdown is progressing: au ended March 2022, SoftBank April 2024, Docomo planned March 2026. 3G-only feature phones become unusable, requiring migration to garaho or smartphones.

Elderly users are most affected. Carriers offer free device exchange programs and operation workshops to ease the transition. See telephone evolution and 090/080/070 differences.

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Related Terms

Long Term Evolution

The 4th generation (4G) mobile communication standard enabling high-speed data and high-quality VoLTE voice calls.

Feature Phone

A colloquial term for pre-smartphone flip phones that evolved uniquely in Japan, nicknamed 'Galapagos phones.'

i-mode

NTT Docomo's 1999 mobile internet service for feature phones, a pioneer of pre-smartphone mobile internet.

Garaho

A mobile phone combining a feature phone's physical button design with Android OS, offering smartphone capabilities in a traditional form factor.

Circuit Switching

A communication method that dedicates a circuit between caller and receiver for the call's duration, the foundation of traditional telephone networks.

Network Outage

An event where phone and data services become unavailable due to equipment failure or overload, with large-scale outages becoming social issues.

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