THE country’s telecommunication and expressway operators have agreed to launch China’s first 5G-based smart expressway project in Central Hubei Province.

China Mobile’s Hubei branch is planning locations for 5G base stations across the expressway sections in the province to run tests on smart toll stations, according to the operator.

It is also applying for 5G-based autonomous driving tests on local expressways.

The 5G network, or the fifth generation wireless network, promises faster speeds, less lag, or “latency,” when connecting to the network and the ability to connect many devices to the Internet without bogging it down.

The 5G-based smart expressway would make it possible to gather real-time traffic information and make predictions based on the big data, according to the network operator.

Thirty-one 5G base stations have been built in Wuhan, capital of Hubei, by the end of 2018. China Mobile plans to spend 1 billion yuan (US$147 million) this year to build another 2,000 stations in the province. (Xinhua)