Shanghai to expand 5G coverage to all tunnels and bridges

All of Shanghai's tunnels and cross-river bridges will be covered by 5G signal by the end of this year, which will complete the "last link" of 5G coverage in the city's downtown area.

A six-party agreement was signed in Shanghai on Tuesday to confirm this goal, attended by mobile carriers, tunnel operators, and construction firms and witnessed by government officials.

Bridges and tunnels are the "last link" of 5G network construction in the city, representing integration and resource sharing regarding the building of transportation and information infrastructure. It helps to build Shanghai as a smart, green, harmonious and civilized city, said the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information.

The 5G signal will cover all 32 tunnels and four bridges across the Huangpu River connecting Puxi and the Pudong New Area by the end of 2021. Currently, some corner areas in the tunnels and bridges only receive 2G to 4G signals.

Six firms, including China Mobile and Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co, signed the agreement.

Transportation is a foundational and strategic industry in the national economy. With 5G construction, Shanghai has actively built an integrated and efficient smart transportation network, said industry officials.

Availability of 5G in tunnels and bridges offers high-speed networks for various applications. They include Internet of Things devices to sense equipment, high-frequency traffic data radar and real-time analysis, and low-latency transmission of key information about tunnel facilities. They will improve operations and maintain efficiency, and offer citizens better data service.

By July, Shanghai had built over 43,000 outdoor 5G base stations and 82,000 indoor stations, with average download speed over 500 megabytes per second. Implementation of 5G service at transportation hubs such as airports and subways has made rapid progress, according to the commission.