The coastal¹ city of Qingdao entered the history books on Tuesday when it became the first city in China to offer 5G network coverage² on a city bus line, according to Bandao Online.

 

滨海城市青岛周二成为国内首个在公交线路上开通5G网络覆盖的城市。
 

 

The next-generation mobile network was switched on for passengers to use on the six buses running on Line 468, which links several popular tourist destinations along its 12-kilometer route, including the city's main bathing beach and Zhongshan Park.

 

Passengers can access the 5G network using 5G-enabled phones, or by logging into a 5G-driven Wi-Fi network on the buses, according to the city's main bus operator.

 

The new network was launched by the bus operator in partnership³ with the telecommunication⁴ service provider China Mobile and the tech giant Huawei.

 

Reporters on one of the buses said it took almost no time for a high-definition video to load while they were connected to the network on the bus.

 

A spokesman for the bus operator said they plan to open more 5G-enabled bus routes, and that the high-speed data network will eventually allow them to use self-driving buses.

 

Earlier this year, cities including Jinan and Chongqing tested self-driving buses assisted by a 5G network, offering a glimpse into the future use of the technology in the transportation sector⁵.

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