Readiness towards 3G: Antecedents of 3G Adoption and Deployment in Malaysia

3G which simply means 3 generation mobile communications technology has been widely discussed by many telecommunications service providers. It was launched by ITU (International Telecommunication Union) about 13 years ago. However, the adoption of this technology, perception of adoption and the true success of it in Malaysia could be somewhat over optimistic given the scenario in other nations around the globe. Reports from other nations tend to depict a rather slow progress for 3G. This paper will address issues of 3G deployment and adoption in Malaysia. An insight into critical factors to be considered for the deployment of 3G technology in Malaysia and experiences of other Asian and European countries will be used as a benchmark for understanding mitigating factors of 3G deployment. The term readiness refers to readiness in terms of cost to the service operators, cost to the users of this technology, technological barriers such as interoperability of standards, insufficiency of mobile services or content and deficiency of the laws.