Central China’s Hubei province is planning to build 5G stations on expressways across the province after the country’s first smart expressway project was launched here, China News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing China Mobile Hubei Company Limited (Hubei Mobile).

After the 5G bases are built, they will support automated driving and smart tolling along the expressways.

In January 2019, Hubei Mobile signed a tripartite agreement with two companies to establish a lab to promote 5G applications within smart transportation as well as in the process of multi-industry collaboration.

The primary tasks of the lab are to carry out tests related to smart network-supported vehicles, co-build demonstrative sections of expressways connected with 5G networks, work out plans to promote coverage of 5G networks among other things, according to the agreement.

The application of 5G networking within the smart transportation industry will catalyze its development and bring big changes to the transportation industry as a whole, said Fan Bingheng, general manager of Hubei Mobile.

Last September, Hubei Mobile joined hands with other companies and institutes to form a 5G industry alliance in Wuhan. So far, the organization has made multiple achievements in the aspect of intelligent industry management, Internet of Vehicles, and public projects. It is reported that in 2019, Hubei Mobile will invest 1 billion yuan to build 2,000 5G base stations.