Canadian operator Rogers Communications announced that it is starting to roll out what it claims to be the country’s first 5G Standalone core network.
The new network, with solutions from Swedish vendor Ericsson, will be initially rolled out in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
“Considered the brain of the network, our 5G Standalone core propels us forward on our path to bring the full potential of 5G to Canadians,” said Jorge Fernandes, CTO at Rogers. “From ultra-low latency to advanced services like network slicing, standalone 5G will support applications and technologies that will have a profound impact on our economy and society.”
Rogers also announced that it has expanded its 5G network to 26 new cities and towns in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec, and now reaches 160 communities across the country. In January 2020, Rogers Communications had initially launched 5G in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
Standalone 5G’s ultra-low latency will enable time-critical industrial automation applications, while network slicing will provide on-demand 5G for entire industries and organizations, the carrier said.
“Rogers will be able to offer a multitude of new business opportunities for mobile users and industries to the Canadian market. This solution will provide agility, programmability and flexibility to meet the growing needs of consumer and business demands,” said Jeanette Irekvist, head of customer unit Canada for Ericsson North America.
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.
“The transition to Standalone 5G is an important milestone in the advancement of 5G, allowing for enhancements in quality of service, as well as enabling new business possibilities through the use of network slicing,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies.
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.
The company’s 5G ecosystem also includes strategic partnerships to research, incubate and commercialize locally-developed 5G technology and applications with the University of British Columbia and the University of Waterloo, among other institutions.
