VANCOUVER – Telus announced Thursday it is now rolling out its first wave 5G network in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and the Greater Toronto Area, and will continue to expand to an additional 26 markets across Canada throughout the remainder of the year.
5G will be available at no additional cost on Telus Peace of Mind plans.
“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.
The company also announced today it has selected Samsung as a network infrastructure partner to go along with previously announced suppliers Nokia and Ericsson. Samsung has been supporting 5G commercial services in Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. Videotron also selected Samsung as its 5G supplier.
“We are excited to have earned Telus’ trust to roll out next generation 5G services together, leveraging our successful experiences in commercializing 5G across multiple leading markets,” said Paul Kyungwhoon Cheun, president and head of networks business at Samsung Electronics, in the Samsung release. “Samsung is looking forward to supporting Telus, and in playing a key role in expanding new 5G horizons in Canada with unparalleled 5G network solutions.”
Those with 5G network access (and devices which support the new standard) will experience a network with peak speeds up to a 1.7 Gbps. Those devices include the Samsung Galaxy 5G S20 series, LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen and Motorola Edge+ starting at $0 upfront with Telus Easy Payment.
While the Telus first 5G phase is launching in pretty much the same footprint as Bell’s 5G launch, the two companies have not yet said whether their well-known national wireless network sharing agreement will extend to the next evolution in wireless. When we asked if we should assume that sharing agreement will also include 5G, a Telus spokesperson told Cartt.ca “we’re not in a position to confirm that.”
For more information, please visit telus.com/5G.
