Eastlink Completes Major 5G Upgrade, Spending Another $12M on Coverage

Eastlink has finished a major upgrade to its mobile network using Nokia’s 5G Standalone technology, with another $12 million CAD earmarked to improve coverage across Atlantic Canada.

The company announced the upgrade on Wednesday, October 14, saying it will help the network keep up with growing mobile data usage. Eastlink has now invested more than $600 million CAD in its mobile service since launching in 2013.

The latest work focuses on the core of Eastlink’s network, which manages mobile traffic and keeps phones connected. Customers should eventually see more reliable service, fewer dropped calls and faster data speeds, especially as more people connect to the network.

Eastlink has also been busy adding more towers and cell sites. Over the past year, it spent $30 million CAD expanding coverage, including new sites in East LaHave and New Germany, Nova Scotia, along with Cornwall and New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island.

The company now has more than 1,200 network sites, with another 180 in the works. The additional $12 million CAD will go toward more upgrades and new sites across Atlantic Canada, including communities where cellphone coverage is still spotty.

The upgrade follows Eastlink’s earlier 5G partnership with Nokia and its 5G launch in Nova Scotia. Eastlink has also been expanding its internet network in New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

For customers, the goal is pretty simple: better reception, fewer dropped calls and more reliable mobile data. Eastlink hasn’t said exactly when customers will start noticing the improvements.

Are you an Eastlink customer? Have you noticed any improvements in coverage lately?