Seoul City will provide better free high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access in subways starting from next year to offer faster and more stable Internet service to the public, officials said Thursday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would change the existing in-train wireless broadband, or Wi-Bro, system to high-speed Wi-Fi.

Currently, the free Internet access in trains has been provided only through wireless broadband by telecommunications business operators since 2011. The speed of the Wi-bro service has often been limited or slow when many passengers use it at the same time.

The new Internet system will be first constructed in subway lines No. 4 and No. 8 in January next year on a trial basis, then expanded to all routes from October 2017.

At platforms, the city has separately provided free high speed Internet access with speeds of over 150 megabits per second.

According to the city’s survey in August last year, about 87 percent of subway passengers responded that they used smartphones in trains. Free Wi-Fi was selected as one of the top services they looked for on the subway.

The construction of the new Wi-Fi system will be carried out upon private investment chosen by public bidding.

The city is also considering installing wireless relay devices around subway stations so that the free Wi-Fi has a greater range, they added.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)