Rogers announced on Wednesday it has launched its 3500 MHz 5G spectrum in Canada, going live on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo, B.C.
Next launches will include urban centres of Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver and various rural areas. The 3500 MHz 5G spectrum offers increased network capacity, increased speed and lower latency.
“As the country’s biggest investor in 5G spectrum and the first to launch 3500 MHz, we are excited to expand Canada’s largest and most reliable network to more families, businesses and communities through the deployment of our 3500 MHz spectrum,” said Tony Staffieri, President and CEO, Rogers Communications, in an issued statement. “Today’s deployment builds on our foundational 5G investment in low-band 600 MHz spectrum, so we can usher in a new era of mobile and fixed wireless broadband that will create jobs, fuel innovation and keep our economy competitive.”
Rogers says it has already leveraged its 3500 MHz 5G network in tests, specifically a hockey Augmented Reality Immersive in-venue fan experience, partnering with AWS Outpost Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), Ericsson, Immersiv.io, MLSE and the NHL.
The population in Nanaimo is 90,000 and usually has travellers arriving from both the south island and the Lower Mainland via B.C. Ferries, likely offering a test case for its new 3500 MHz 5G network.
