A Japanese person's 3G life

In 2002, NTT-DoCoMo of Japan began the official commercial application of 3G. Japan became the first country in the world to launch commercial 3G services. In six years, from Tokyo to New York, from Seoul to Paris, from Hong Kong to Mumbai, 3G networks have covered most cities on Earth. On April 1, 2008, China Mobile officially launched TD-SCDMA social service tests and trial commercial operations in eight cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Qinhuangdao.

After years of disputes over 3G standards and commercial interests, nearly 1.4 billion people on Earth are finally entering the 3G communication era. China will henceforth become a part of the global 3G lifestyle. 3G makes the wireless world more expansive and colorful.

**Tokyo's 3G Story**

Mr. Yamada lives in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture, the hometown of Nobita Nobi (a famous Japanese anime character), a quiet little community about 100 kilometers away from central Tokyo. Like most Japanese people in their early thirties, he bought a house with the help of his parents, joined a large company in Tokyo, and has spent nine years living the same daily life as an office worker.

Another ordinary Friday morning arrived. At 6 a.m., after battling with three alarm clocks—on his mobile phone, by his bed, and in his wardrobe—for over twenty minutes, a disheveled Japanese man with small eyes and messy hair appeared in the bathroom. After going through the daily reflexive routine of washing up, he rushed into the kitchen and hastily finished breakfast. As he stepped out the door, his brain was still in a dreamlike state, but he vaguely remembered his wife repeatedly reminding him to call their son, Nobuo, at noon. Mr. Yamada instinctively patted his pocket—"Hmm, good, I’ve got my phone." After walking for about ten minutes, Mr. Yamada boarded the JR line heading to Ginza in Tokyo. Today, incredibly lucky, he even found an empty seat at the end of the carriage. Leaning back against the chair, like usual, he first checked the news pushed to his phone by *Asahi Shimbun* and *Yomiuri Shimbun*. In the sports section, he saw that his favorite baseball star Hideki Matsui, who plays for the New York Yankees, had an important game at noon.