MONTREAL — Bell Canada says it’s rolling out the next evolution of 5G, announcing today the network readiness of 5G+ as the company prepares to deploy 3500 MHz wireless spectrum it secured during the federal government’s spectrum auction last year.
Bell’s 3500 MHz spectrum adds “high-capacity airwaves critical to the evolution of Bell 5G on its network,” according to a press release. “Bell is now poised to deploy 3500 MHz wireless spectrum and unleash the next phase of 5G advancement.”
Offering “unprecedented mobile data speeds” and optimized for demanding apps and services, “5G+ is the fastest mobile technology yet in Canada. From gaming to streaming, to video conferencing, everything is expected to be faster and more responsive with peak theoretical download speeds of up to 3Gbps in select areas,” the release says.
Bell says its 5G customers with compatible devices will soon have access to 5G+ capabilities, starting with customers in Toronto.
“For all other 5G customers, until 5G+ is available in their area, they can continue to enjoy 4G, LTE and 5G on Canada’s best network. Bell will work towards offering 5G+ coverage to approximately 40% of the Canadian population by the end of 2022,” the release reads.
When contacted by Cartt.ca via email about the timeline for Bell’s 5G+ rollout, a Bell spokesperson responded to say the service will roll out across the country but the company is not announcing specific dates yet.
“Today’s announcement reinforces Bell’s commitment to provide the best networks to Canadian consumers and businesses so they can do more of what they love,” said Stephen Howe, Bell’s chief technology and information officer, in the press release.
“I’m thrilled that 5G+ is here and with this release, we’ll take the country’s top-ranked 5G service to new heights with faster mobile data speeds. It’s a significant milestone in the evolution of next generation communications in Canada, and we’re proud to lead the way,” Howe said.
“Last year, we set out to expand our 5G footprint as part of our objective to connect more people in communities large and small across the country, and now cover over 75% of the Canadian population with Bell 5G,” said Blaik Kirby, group president of consumer and small and medium business at Bell.
“With 5G+, we’ll offer customers a faster experience when consuming their daily content with peak theoretical download speeds of up to 3 gigabits per second. And, as new applications are developed, Bell 5G+ is future-ready for what comes next,” Kirby added.
Customers with Bell’s unlimited Ultimate 45 and Ultimate 50 plans “will automatically have access to 5G+ speeds, provided it’s available in their area and they have a compatible device,” the press release says.
“Bell already offers a large selection of 5G-enabled smartphones, including ones that are or will soon be 5G+ compatible like the iPhone 12, 13 and SE, the Pixel 6 and the Samsung S21 and S22. This selection will continue to grow as new 5G+ compatible smartphones are introduced,” the release adds.
Telus, which Bell has a network sharing agreement with, has also indicated it is close to deploying its own 3500 MHz spectrum for 5G.
“The spectrum licenses we purchased at the 3500 MHz auction in July 2021 come into effect on June 17,” a Telus spokesperson told Cartt.ca via email. “We’re looking forward to launching 3500 MHz 5G service in select communities shortly, bringing our customers an even greater experience on our world-leading network with enhanced capacity, low latency and faster speeds. We’ll share full details soon.”
Rogers meanwhile issued a press release earlier today announcing it has started to deploy its 3500 MHz spectrum starting in Nanaimo, B.C., which you can read about here.
For more on Bell’s announcement, please click here.
Image supplied by Bell.
