Rogers has announced it has expanded its 5G network powered by Ericsson to 50 new cities and towns across Canada, with plans to reach over 60 markets by the end of 2020.
“5G is the next big leap forward that will change how we live and work. Our award-winning network is Canada’s most reliable and most trusted and we are proud to be extending the country’s first and now largest 5G network to over 60 towns and cities by the end of the year,” said Joe Natale, President & CEO, Rogers Communications, in an issued statement to iPhone in Canada.
According to Rogers, they are “currently using 2.5 GHz, AWS and 600 MHz spectrum to provide 5G coverage.”
Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology is also being used in numerous of these new markets, which allows spectrum to accommodate both 4G and 5G at the same time on 600 MHz and AWS bands.
The breakdown of cities and towns that now have Rogers 5G across five provinces are listed below, beyond the January debut of 5G in downtown Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal:
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Ontario
Quebec
Rogers customers can access 5G when subscribed to a Rogers Infinite ‘unlimited’ data plan; the company says over 2 million Canadians are subscribed to these plans with no data overages.
Rogers will start charging customers $15/month for 5G access starting in March 2021, a fee still noted on its 5G FAQ website. When asked if this 5G access charge was still the policy for 2021, a company spokesperson confirmed to iPhone in Canada it was still the case for next year.
Bell said in June it decided to waive its initial $10 charge for 5G in 2021, while Telus says it currently has no plans to implement a charge for 5G access.
The announcement of 5G expansion comes ahead of Apple’s expected 2020 iPhone launch, with the latter expected to support 5G networks for the first time.
