Rogers sees private network opportunity in verticals like mining, oil and gas, and manufacturing
Canadian operator Rogers announced the launch of a managed solution for wireless private networks (WPN), the company said in a release.
The company said that the new offering chiefly targets large businesses with a dedicated on-site wireless network platform to securely connect devices to their network, prioritize network traffic, control sensitive data, and run business applications.
Rogers also noted that this managed solution is suited for businesses in industries including mining, oil and gas, utilities and manufacturing.
“With Canadian businesses on the lookout for the next competitive edge, wireless private networks offer an agile solution that provides reliable and secure network connectivity over large, multi-site areas,” said Dean Prevost, President, Connected Home and Rogers for Business. “Rogers for Business is proud to partner with technology leaders including Ericsson, Expeto, and Cradlepoint to launch this new ‘Enterprise First’ service to business customers.”
“We are excited to partner with Rogers and provide the Expeto Enterprise First NeXtworking platform as a foundation for the WPN solution,” said Michael Anderson, CEO, Expeto. “The WPN solution seamlessly integrates with existing IT systems and provides business customers with the confidence of end-to-end security and control of their network and data.”
Cradlepoint is providing its NetCloud Service, which enables companies to have visibility, security and control as well as interoperability with their existing WAN infrastructures.
“Enterprises see the enormous potential of wireless private networks to provide the agility, flexibility, security and scale they need to drive real transformation and innovation in their businesses,” said David Everingham, CTO with Ericsson Canada. “By leveraging a trusted managed solution, companies can continue focusing on their core business and not be heavily burdened by having to maintain the infrastructure for a wireless private network.”
In December of 2020, Rogers Communications announced that it was starting to roll out a 5G Standalone core network.
The new network, with solutions from Swedish vendor Ericsson, will be initially rolled out in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Rogers Standalone 5G network is supported by Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G core. The Canadian operator had partnered with Ericsson in 2018 as its exclusive 5G vendor for its full network infrastructure, including core and radio access network. Ericsson, Rogers and Qualcomm Technologies have jointly completed Standalone 5G testing on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform.
By the end of 2020, the telco provided 5G services in 160 communities across the country. In January 2020, Rogers Communications had initially launched 5G in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
Rogers is currently using 2.5 GHz, AWS and 600 MHz spectrum to provide 5G coverage in Canada.
The company has also deployed Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology in some of the markets where it offers 5G services. This technology enables spectrum to be used for 4G and 5G simultaneously on its 600 MHz and AWS spectrum bands.
Earlier this month, Rogers Communications announced that it will purchase Shaw Communications Inc. in a C$20 billion ($16 billion) deal. If the agreement is approved by regulators, the deal will shake up Canada’s wireless industry as two of the country’s largest telecom and cable providers merge into one company.
