The Telus 5G network is starting to roll out in five launch cities, specifically Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and the Greater Toronto Area.
Beyond this initial launch, Telus says 5G will make its way to 26 additional markets across Canada throughout 2020. Telus 5G availability will have no cost for customers subscribed to a Telus Peace of Mind plan.
“Our team understands the critical importance of connectivity for all Canadians, particularly given the new reality imposed by the global health emergency. As the first phase of our 5G rollout, we are pleased to offer citizens access to the next generation of wireless technology that will profoundly enhance the way we connect to information, resources and one another,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUS, in a statement.
Telus says its network partner for this 5G roll out is Samsung. Other 5G network partners previously announced by the company include Ericsson and Nokia.
The Telus 5G network will bring peak download speeds of 1.7 Gbps and support existing 5G devices such as the Samsung Galaxy 5G S20 series, LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen and Motorola Edge+.
The launch of the Telus 5G network comes one week after Bell launched its own 5G network in the same cities, while Rogers first launched its 5G network back in January. Bell will charge users $10/month. for 5G access in 2021, while Rogers will charge $15/month for 5G. We’ve reached out to Telus to see if there will be a comparable 5G charge in 2021.
Update: A Telus spokesperson told iPhone in Canada in an email, “We currently have no plans to implement a charge for 5G access.” Also, the Telus 5G network will be using AWS-3 bands at launch, the company tells iPhone in Canada.
