Canadian operator Rogers Communications has expanded its 5G network to reach 173 towns and cities across the country, the carrier said in a release.
The telco said that its 5G network currently reaches approximately half of the country’s population.
In January 2020, Rogers Communications initially launched 5G in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Other large cities covered with 5G technology included Calgary, Edmonton and Quebec City.
“We’re focused on bringing 5G connectivity to even more Canadian residents and businesses to help drive economic prosperity in our communities,” said Jorge Fernandes, CTO at Rogers Communications. “As we continue investing in our networks and Canada’s 5G ecosystem, we’ll begin to see more 5G use-cases come to life that will play a critical role in transforming and evolving entire industries across the country.”
Rogers is currently using 2.5 GHz, AWS and 600 MHz spectrum to provide 5G coverage.
The company has also deployed Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology in a number of these new markets. This technology enables spectrum to be used for 4G and 5G simultaneously on its 600 MHz and AWS spectrum bands.
Rogers partnered with Ericsson in 2018 as its 5G vendor for its full network infrastructure, including its core and Radio Access Network.
The Canadian carrier also said that Rogers for Business worked with InDro Robotics and the University of British Columbia’s MéridaLabs to complete what it claims to be Canada’s first remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) flight over a 5G network at the UBC campus in Vancouver.
Rogers said that 5G will enable the ability to fly drones on autonomous missions from remote command centers connected over a 5G network. The 5G infrastructure Rogers has installed at UBC is enabling researchers and partners to explore future innovations, including parcel tracking, scheduling, and delivery by drone. 5G drones are expected to provide untapped services for a number of industries including agriculture, natural resources, infrastructure and utilities, construction, first responders and more, Rogers said.
“Access to 5G for drones is the step we needed to unleash the potential for drones to become far more productive,” said Philip Reece, president and CEO of InDro Robotics. “The amount of data that can be exchanged at near zero latency means we can now separate the pilot and crew from being on scene with the drone, engineers can carry out critical infrastructure inspection from their office increasing speed of response and safety. First responders will be able to gain great situational awareness before they arrive at an accident and share valuable information back to incident command live from the scene.”
“This RPAS research is just one example of how 5G opens up new applications with significant societal benefit. 5G drones can be routinely used in the near future to monitor wildfires or assist in medical supplies delivery. They can be enlisted to provide security services and deployed during times of crisis and natural disasters. 5G enables us to explore many of the challenges and opportunities that will emerge as transportation and civil infrastructures become smart and interconnected,” said Walter Mérida, UBC professor in the faculty of applied science and lead, MéridaLabs.
