3500 MHz spectrum is coming soon to Vancouver and points east
Canadian telco Rogers Communications this week announced the deployment of 5G midband spectrum to complement its nationwide coverage. Rogers said it activated 3500 MHz coverage on its 5G network, beginning with Nanaimo, British Columbia. The midband coverage activation will continue in urban areas including Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Rogers said it will activate other regions according to the timetable established by the Canadian government.
Rogers claims first mover advantage for the Canadian telco market as the first company to activate 3500 5G spectrum, just as the operator did in October 2021 when it announced nationwide deployment of its 5G Standalone (SA) network. Combined, the two capabilities unlock future 5G use cases for Rogers like edge computing and network slicing, private networks and ultra-low latency IoT. The Canadian telco noted that midband coverage provides additional network capacity, will help boost customer data transfer speeds and delivers ultra-low latency communication.
“Unlocking the 3500 MHz band increases network capacity and will boost speed and deliver ultra-low latency, paving the way for Rogers to offer infinite service possibilities for consumers and business customers, from augmented reality and machine learning to smart homes, vehicles and cities,” said Tony Staffieri, president and CEO, Rogers Communications.
Combined, Canadian telcos spent a total CAD$8.9 billion (US$7.2 billion) in 2021 to secure that 3.5 GHz spectrum, so it’s little wonder that the single biggest spender at last year’s auction is wasting as little time as possible putting it to use. Rogers secured a total of 325 licenses out of that auction. Videotron won 294 licenses, Bell received 271, Telus secured 142, while Xplornet received 263 licenses.
Rogers’ private 5G networking efforts are managed through its enterprise division, Rogers Business. A good example of the company’s efforts on that front come from Detour Lake, Ontario, home of a private 5G network running in an open pit mine owned by Kirkland Lake Gold. The private 5G setup uses Rogers’ “full range of spectrum frequency bands” and comprises five new cell towers to provide coverage for the entire site, which covers 80 square kilometers. It offers “full failover backup” for Kirkland Lake Gold, it said. The 5G network provides the business with the scale and agility it needs to employ extensive automation, said Rogers, merging telepresence, remote operations, and robotics. The buildout is scheduled to complete this summer, it said.
Rogers continues to pour billions into it 5G network buildout to help maintain its Canadian market primacy. Those efforts include, where appropriate, strategic mergers and acquisitions like its 2021 takeover of rival Shaw. The two telcos recently paused their merger process following a court injunction, agreeing not to proceed further until clarity emerges from the Canadian authorities overseeing the process.
In March, Rogers announced a five-year deal with Microsoft to accelerate digital transformation for small to medium business (SMB) customers throughout Canada.
