OTTAWA — Regardless of where they live, Canadians can look forward to enjoying significant economic and quality-of-life benefits as 5G technology is deployed across the country, according to a new study commissioned by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) and conducted by Accenture Strategy.
The two organizations today jointly released the findings of the report, Accelerating 5G in Canada — Benefits for Cities and Rural Communities, to coincide with a presentation at the CENGN Summit, happening today in Ottawa.
According to a news release issued by CWTA, as Canada gets closer to national 5G deployments, the estimated economic impact will reach $40 billion of annual GDP uplift by 2026, with 250,000 permanent jobs added to the economy in the same timeframe.
“The access to ultra-fast, ultra-reliable and higher-capacity wireless connectivity that 5G offers will enable entirely new ways of using mobile technology for Canadian consumers and businesses,” said Tejas Rao, managing director and Global 5G Offering Lead for Accenture, in the news release. “It will unleash opportunities that are difficult to imagine today but will soon be transformative. The communications industry will play a pivotal role in bringing these prospects to light.”
However, before mass consumer use is fully established, 5G deployment is likely to first target local industries and governments, the report says. Operators and network equipment providers will need to work with local governments to secure access to infrastructure for deployment of 5G that will drive new offerings, such as smart connected city services and rural high-speed connectivity, reads the CWTA news release. The Canadian government will also have to maintain a regulatory environment that encourages the levels of investment necessary to deploy 5G networks, the release adds.
In particular, the report outlines key benefits to be realized in the areas of transportation, agriculture, energy and rural connectivity on a national scale. According to the report, some of the use-case deployments that could benefit from 5G include: large-scale smart traffic management applications; innovative technologies for crop and soil management; smart grid sensor densification and smart street lighting; and efficient broadband rollout to underserved rural areas.
“It’s exciting to watch as the advantages of 5G technology come to life in ways that will benefit all Canadians, regardless of whether they are living in urban or rural areas of our country,” said Robert Ghiz, president and CEO of CWTA, in the news release. “Many people assume that new network technology will only benefit residents and businesses in our largest cities, however this report shows that this is clearly not the case. The examples explored in the study prove that 5G has the potential to improve everyone’s quality of life, no matter where they live or work. So long as government policies encourage investment in wireless infrastructure and boost collaboration with communications providers, we will see 5G wireless services make a positive difference in the lives of all Canadians.”
The full report, Accelerating 5G in Canada — Benefits for Cities and Rural Communities, can be found here.
