Science ministry marks 5G subway Wi-Fi upgrade on Incheon lines 1 and 2

The science ministry said Wednesday it had completed a 5G-based upgrade of subway Wi-Fi on a pilot route in Incheon, the first line on which all three mobile carriers have launched the service, and marked the work with a public experience event.

The Ministry of Science and ICT held the event on Incheon Subway Line 2 between Unyeon Station and Incheon City Hall Station, checking the results of the upgrade on the pilot route covering Incheon lines 1 and 2 and letting members of the public try the improved quality for themselves. The ministry said the event was arranged to share the results with the public on the first route where all three carriers have launched 5G-based subway Wi-Fi, a service pushed forward with cooperation among the government, the National Assembly, the region and industry.

Participants included Vice Science Minister Ryu Je-myung, lawmaker Lee Hoon-ki of the National Assembly, Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae, Incheon Transit Corporation President Choi Jung-kyu, officials from the three carriers and 11 members of a public experience group. Riding a train through seven stations, they browsed the web, used social media and watched video over the Wi-Fi.

Users could feel faster response times when browsing or using social media, and high-definition video played without interruption even with many people connected at once, allowing smooth use of data-heavy services, the ministry said.

"This event was a meaningful occasion to confirm with the public the results of improving the quality of 5G-based subway Wi-Fi," Ryu said. He added that the ministry would provide policy support to expand 5G-based subway Wi-Fi nationwide in cooperation with the three carriers and regional transit operators.