The Cabinet on Friday approved a project to install 5G wireless relay devices, to support the provision of 5G services, on traffic signals across the country.

5G network technology requires more relay spots than current 4G services, as it uses short-length radio waves that cannot pass through buildings. But there is a lack of suitable locations for new base stations as existing ones already house equipment for current services. The government will, therefore, allow 208,000 traffic signals to be used to deploy the new 5G equipment, expecting to the network installation to be complete by the end of March 2026.

The new wireless service is able to send and receive data about 100 times faster than the current 4G network. Smartphone users, for example, will be able to download a two-hour film in just three seconds.