Adds 26 more towns to existing 5G footprint
TORONTO — Rogers Communications is starting to roll out Canada’s first 5G standalone core network, powered by Ericsson, in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, the company announced today.
Rogers also gave an update on the expansion of its existing 5G network footprint, saying it has added 26 new cities and towns in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, bringing its 5G coverage to a total of 160 communities across the country. (Please see the individual press releases for a list of communities in each province. Rogers’ full 5G coverage map is available here.)
The rollout of Rogers’ 5G standalone core network marks the next important step in evolving 5G connectivity, as it will support future devices and chipsets as they become available, says Rogers. It will also enable ultra-low latency and support future capabilities which will provide industries and businesses with dedicated networks through network slicing, and support critical applications by bringing computing power incredibly close to the end user through mobile edge computing, reads the Rogers press release.
“Considered the brain of the network, our 5G standalone core propels us forward on our path to bring the full potential of 5G to Canadians,” said Jorge Fernandes, chief technology and information officer at Rogers, in the release. “As the first carrier to introduce wireless services to Canadians 35 years ago, and the first and largest 5G network in the country, we are pleased to once again be first to help advance telecommunications innovation in Canada. From ultra-low latency to advanced services like network slicing, standalone 5G will support applications and technologies that will have a profound impact on our economy and society.”
Rogers’ standalone 5G is powered by Ericsson’s cloud-native dual-mode 5G Core solution. Rogers partnered with Ericsson in 2018 as its exclusive 5G vendor for its full network infrastructure, including core and radio access network. Ericsson, Rogers and Qualcomm Technologies have jointly completed standalone 5G testing on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform that will power the next generation of 5G smartphones, says the press release.
“The transition to standalone 5G is an important milestone in the advancement of 5G, allowing for enhancements in quality of service, as well as enabling new business possibilities through the use of network slicing,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice-president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This achievement today is the result of months of engineering collaboration among Rogers, Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, aiming to bring the benefits of 5G to Canadian users as early as possible.”
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