Rogers officially begins rollout of Canada's first 5G network

Jan 16 2020, 1:58 am

Rogers has announced it is starting to roll out Canada’s first 5G network in downtown Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal in preparation for when 5G devices become available this year.

“5G is the biggest technological evolution since the launch of wireless in Canada. We are making the right investments, building the right partnerships and deploying the right technology to bring Canadians the very best of 5G,” said Joe Natale, President and CEO, Rogers Communications. “5G will not only power businesses, it will fuel entire industries and drive Canada’s digital future.”

With plans to expand to over 20 more markets by the end of the year, the company also announced it is the exclusive Canadian member of the global 5G Future Forum, a first-of-its-kind 5G and mobile-edge computing forum that includes Verizon, Vodafone, KT, Telstra, and América Móvil.

Natale added that Rogers was “the first with wireless services 35 years ago, and we are once again first to bring this innovative technology to consumers and businesses on Canada’s only national network.”

The Rogers 5G network uses 2.5 GHz spectrum in the downtown cores of Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal and will expand to use 600 MHz 5G spectrum later this year.

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As part of its future plans, Rogers said it will also start deploying 3.5 GHz spectrum and dynamic spectrum sharing, which will allow 4G spectrum to be used for 5G. Rogers will also turn on 5G in the Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena, and Rogers Arena to enhance how fans watch the game in the future as innovation and applications develop.

Overall, Rogers said it has invested $9 billion in spectrum licences and over $30 billion overall in its wireless networks since 1985. “These investments have helped ensure Canadians enjoy the third fastest wireless networks in the world, networks that are twice as fast as the U.S. with LTE covering 99% of Canadians,” the company said.

This, the company noted, “would not have been possible without the right investment-oriented regulatory environment.”

The race to 5G “is not with other companies, it is with other countries, so the right investment and the right public policy is critical to Canada’s digital economy and Canada’s global competitiveness,” the company said.

“5G is not just another G. It is a global technology that requires local development to deliver the best social and economic benefits to Canadians,” said Jorge Fernandes, Chief Technology Officer, Rogers Communications. “Through our multi-year program we will invest in our wireless network and partner with leaders to drive innovative use cases for Canadian consumers and businesses.”

Rogers said it has established key strategic Canadian partnerships to research, incubate, and commercialize made-in-Canada 5G technology and applications.

This, the company said, includes R&D partnerships with the University of British Columbia and the University of Waterloo as well as an incubator at Communitech. Rogers is also collaborating with government and industry through Ryerson University Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and ENCQOR 5G.

Internationally, Rogers is a founding member of the new 5G Future Forum, which will create a common framework for 5G applications enabled by mobile-edge computing across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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