South Korea’s already impressive internet speeds are about to pull even farther ahead of the rest of the world with plans to introduce a next-generation 5G wireless service capable of downloading full-length films in a second. The country’s science ministry said on Thursday it would invest 1.6t won ($1.5bn) with local firms in the service, with a view to making it commercially available by the end of the decade. The 5G network will enable users to download an 800-megabyte movie in one second, compared with 40 seconds on the current 4G network – already the fastest in the world. That would mean passengers on high-speed trains would be able to access the internet even at speeds of 500kmh (310mph), compared with the current limit of 300kmh. “Bullet trains around the world keep getting faster, with some in China running as fast as 500kmh and 600kmh,” a ministry official, who declined to be named, told AFP in Seoul.