3G

We at 3 Direct are working in association with the Three to tell everyone about their superb 3G Network. In the UK, Three have already built the UK's largest 3G Network and continues to grow with 3 expecting to be covering 98.5% of the UK population by the of the year.

Three’s 3G system is ideal for 3G (Third Generation) Mobile Phones and 3G Mobile Broadband. In fact, 3's network was built with 3G mobile broadband in mind, so in addition to superb coverage for voice calls, using the internet on your mobile is faster and better than ever before.

What Advantages do 3G Mobiles and 3G Broadband bring?

In addition to the improved speeds achieved with 3G, Three already offer free Skype™-to-Skype calls and Free Windows Live™ Messenger. Plus with their continuing network improvements, Three expect to be able to provide more services for free in the future.

Three is certainly a network looking to the future and with their "we’re changing mobile forever" philosophy, they no longer sell 2G handsets. Three also now offer free Unlimited Internet use with their contract mobile phones.

Check out some the bestselling 3G Handsets currently on offer Three.

History of 3G

In Europe, the first commercial 3G services were introduced in March 2003 by 3 (Three - Part of Hutchison Whampoa) in the UK and Italy. Although the EU Council’s desire to have 3G coverage for 80% of the EU populations, the rollout of 3G coverage was delayed in some countries due to the huge additional licensing costs. In most countries, 3G networks use different radio frequencies than 2G, which required significant new investment to upgrade systems.

In many countries (including the UK), governments auctioned off limited numbers of 3G licences under sealed bids, which forced many telecom operators to bid very high in order to secure one of the few licences on offer.

3G Security

3G networks offer a higher degree of security over its 2G predecessors. It includes a system, which allows the device to authenticate with the network it is communicating with, so the user can be sure the network is the intended one and not an impersonator.

3G Applications

Due to the enhanced data transfer speeds, 3G opens up a wide range of the new applications, which were difficult, if not possible, under 2G networks. These include:

3G Mobile TV & Video

For the first time, it has been to view live TV on a mobile handset, brought about by the high data transfer rate provided via 3G networks.

Similar to mobile TV, videos on demand can be provided to 3G users, again this is only possible due to the high speeds possible via a 3G network.

By using forward-facing cameras built into 3G compatible mobile phones, it is possible to engage in a two-way video call with another user.

Location Based Services using the 3G Network

By utilising the 3G network and triangulating the user’s location, services such as local weather reports, live traffic status etc. can be provided to the user’s mobile device.