WATERLOO – Rogers Communications has announced a three-year partnership with Waterloo’s Communitech to open a new 5G innovation lab.
As part of the partnership, the new lab, opening in September, will accelerate and launch smart city, IoT and enterprise 5G applications that will change the way we live and work. The lab’s goal is ultimately to advance made-in-Canada 5G technology and commercialize 5G use cases.
Waterloo’s Communitech is a public-private hub that supports over 1,400 companies, helping them grow in the digital economy.
“Canada needs a strong 5G ecosystem to thrive and grow in our increasingly connected world,” said Jorge Fernandes, Rogers’ CTO, in the press release. “Our partnership with Communitech is part of our work to bring together experts from universities, businesses, start-ups and government so our country can lead in the digital economy. This new lab will help bridge the gap between concept and testing to commercialization and market launch for Canadian applications.”
“It’s phenomenal to have Rogers, a leading national brand, invest time and resources in building and bringing the future of technology to Canadians with the new lab,” added Iain Klugman, CEO, Communitech, in the release.
Today’s announcement is “part of Rogers multi-year program to bring 5G to Canadians and to drive Canada’s innovation agenda. The company is building key strategic partnerships to create a robust 5G ecosystem. Last year, Rogers announced a multi-year partnership with the University of British Columbia to build a real-world 5G hub on the university’s campus. The company also announced a national infrastructure agreement with Ericsson to boost and densify its fibre-powered network with 5G-ready technology,” reads its release.
Rogers is preparing for 5G commercial deployment in 2020 and has just completed 5G test calls in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
