Canadian operator Rogers Communications today announced that it has turned on its 5G service in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba.
Including these communities, Rogers’ 5G network now reaches a total of 134 cities and towns across Canada.
“The arrival of 5G in Manitoba will change the way we live, work and do business here,” said Larry Goerzen, president of Prairies and Alberta at Rogers Communications. “5G represents a massive technological transformation that will connect everything in our world from people and machines, to homes and cities. Beyond that, strong digital infrastructure and this next generation technology are critical to fuel productivity and innovation in the future as we reset the competitive landscape in Manitoba and for Canada, globally.”
“On behalf of the Manitoba government, we welcome the expansion of Rogers 5G network into Winnipeg and Brandon, along with the benefits it will bring to our economy and communities,” said Ralph Eichler, Manitoba Minister of Economic Development and Training. “This expansion will bring new technology to our businesses and contribute to Manitoba’s long-term competitiveness.”
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,
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 its new markets, which 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.
Rival operator Bell expects to expand its current 5G network to 28 additional markets this year, Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of Bell Canada, previously said during a conference call with investors.
Bell had announced the launch of its commercial 5G service in the country in June. The carrier’s 5G service was initially available in Montréal, the Greater Toronto Area, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Earlier this year, Bell Canada selected Ericsson 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technology to support its nationwide 5G mobile and fixed wireless access deployment. The carrier had started the construction of its 5G network this year, using equipment from Finnish vendor Nokia.
Meanwhile, mobile operator Telus said it is rolling out its initial 5G network in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and the Greater Toronto Area, and will continue to expand to an additional 26 markets across Canada throughout the rest of the year.
Telus’ main providers in the 5G field are Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung.
