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Third generation (3G) denotes the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology, designed to deliver higher data rates, improved spectral efficiency, and better support for multimedia services compared with 2G systems. It enabled mobile Internet access, email, video calling, and mobile applications to be used on smartphones and other devices.

3G standards were standardized by the International Telecommunication Union as IMT-2000, with two primary families for commercialization: UMTS (wideband code division multiple access, W-CDMA) and CDMA2000. Other regional implementations, such as TD-SCDMA in China, also contributed to the global ecosystem. In the 3G era, the 3GPP and 3GPP2 collaborations produced the core specifications.

Typical data rates ranged from hundreds of kilobits per second to several megabits per second, depending on technology and network conditions. Early 3G devices offered modest throughput, while later evolutions such as HSPA and HSPA+ significantly increased download and upload speeds. 3G networks supported mobile Internet access, multimedia messaging, and accompanying applications.

Commercial deployments began in the early 2000s and expanded through the decade, transforming mobile communications and enabling mobile broadband. In many regions, 3G networks were gradually superseded by 4G technologies starting in the late 2000s and early 2010s, though 3G remains in use to support legacy devices and areas with limited coverage.