The 3500 MHz spectrum is coming to Vancouver soon and pointing east
Canadian Telco Rogers Communications announced the deployment this week 5G Midband Spectrum To complement its nationwide coverage. Rogers says it has enabled 3500 MHz coverage on its 5G network, starting at Nanaimo in British Columbia. Midband coverage activation will continue in urban areas, including Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Rogers said it would activate other regions according to a timetable set by the Canadian government.
Rogers 3500 claims the first mover facility for the Canadian telco market as the first company to activate 5G spectrum, just as the operator did in October 2021 when it announced the nationwide deployment of its 5G standalone (SA) network. Taken together, the two capabilities unlock future 5G usage for Rogers, such as Edge computing and network slicing, private network and ultra-low latency IoT. Canadian Telco noted that midband coverage provides additional network capabilities, will help speed up customer data transfers and provide ultra-low latency communications.
“The 3500 MHz band unlocked network will increase capacity and speed and provide ultra-low latency, paving the way for Rogers to offer unlimited service possibilities for consumers and business customers, from augmented reality and machine learning to smart homes, vehicles and cities. Communications President and CEO Tony Staffiri said.
Collectively, Canadian telcos spent a total of CAD $ 8.9 billion (US $ 7.2 billion) to secure 3.5 GHz spectrum in 2021, so it’s no surprise that the single largest consumer at last year’s auction was wasting as little time as possible to use it. Rogers received a total of 325 licenses from that auction. Videotron secured 294 licenses, Bell secured 271, Telus secured 142, while Explorenet secured 263 licenses.
Rogers’ personal 5G networking efforts are managed through its enterprise division, Rogers Business. A good example of the company’s efforts on that front comes from its home in Detour Lake, Ontario A private 5G network An open pit mine owned by Kirkland Lake Gold is underway. The personal 5G setup uses Rogers’ “full range of spectrum frequency bands” and consists of five new cell towers to cover the entire site over 80 square kilometers. It offers “complete failure backups” for Kirkland Lake Gold, it said. The 5G network provides the business with the scale and agility needed to deploy massive automation, Rogers said, combining telepresence, remote operations and robotics. The buildout is scheduled to be completed this summer, it said.
Rogers continues to pour billions into 5G network buildouts to help it maintain its dominance in the Canadian market. These efforts include the acquisition of appropriate, strategic integration and the acquisition of its 2021 rival Shaw. The two telecoms have recently halted their merger process following a court ruling, and have agreed not to proceed until further notice from the Canadian authorities overseeing the process.
In March, Rogers announced a five-year agreement with Microsoft to accelerate the digital transition for small to medium business (SMB) customers across Canada.
