By Ahmad Hathout
The head of Rogers said Wednesday that priority lanes of traffic on its 5G wireless network, via network slicing, “continues to be an opportunity and in play” to drive higher value on its premium plans.
In April, Rogers launched the 5G+ Ultimate plan, which includes unlimited high-speed data, up to 2 Gbps speeds, roaming in up to 64 global destinations, unlimited calling to 27 countries, free access to Rogers Satellite for 24 months, and priority network access that gives subscribers front-of-the-line access to the fastest speeds available, even during peak times.
“If you look to each of our tiers across our Rogers and Fido brands, what you see is, as you move towards the higher tiers … you have access to higher speeds for longer periods of time in terms of data usage without any throttling,” Tony Staffieri said during a second-quarter earnings conference call on Wednesday.
“Network slicing does give us the opportunity to give customers priority access, whether it’s video streaming or whether it’s an experience in stadium during a concert where there’s a lot of heavy traffic. Those are things that we have utilized and I would say prototyped, tested our ability to have a differentiated network experience. You’ll continue to see that, not unlike the U.S. market: us evolving our value proposition that’s based on priority access and level of experience, based on the tier that the customer is on. It certainly continues to be an opportunity and in play.”
When Rogers launched its standalone 5G network in 2022, it touted the benefits of the new network slicing technology, which allows it to determine whether applications require lower latency, more speed or more capacity. Staffieri said in 2024 that network slicing technology doesn’t just create opportunities to provide emergency responders with a dedicated lane of traffic, but improved its ability to deploy fixed wireless service in areas not covered by its wireline network.
The CRTC has rules about internet traffic management practices (ITMPs) dating back to 2009. The regulator has acknowledged that ITMPs are used by telecoms to alleviate congestion on their networks but notes those practices can also be used to harm consumers and competition. The regulator told us in 2024 that ITMPs “must be clearly disclosed on their websites, and such disclosures must be regularly updated so that consumers can make informed choices.”
Staffieri’s comments come on the heels of the conclusion this weekend of the FIFA World Cup, which was partly hosted in Toronto and Vancouver and pushed the networks of the large telecoms.
In the leadup to the tournament, Bell said it was “advancing the next generation of connectivity with 5G+ Advanced network slicing trials — independent, secure and dedicated ‘slices’ of the network that support broadcast-grade field reporting and enhanced public safety communications — a winning network strategy built not just for tournament day, but for businesses and first-responders long after the final whistle.”
Last year, Telus announced it had successfully tested 5G slicing technology that provided a dedicated traffic lane for Edmonton police during the playoff run of the city’s NHL team.
On media, Rogers executives clarified Wednesday that the minority stake that the company hopes to sell following the purchase from Kilmer Sports of the remaining 25-per-cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) will be not just for a slice of MLSE, but for all of Rogers Sports and Media.
Chief Financial Officer Glenn Brandt said the company will seek to sell non-voting equity stakes in the entire holding company, allowing “investors to participate across the breadth of the sports and media operations.”
Brandt added: “There is a tremendous amount of interest expressed from investors, private individuals, as well as institutions. We’ve talked to several. We have several more to talk to. As we go through the exercise, I’m confident that we will be able to present that these are a very premium collection of assets and there are limited opportunities for buying in. You can tell from my comment, I do not expect discounts. We will work hard to drive as strong a valuation as we can drive in the transaction. The market will determine what that is.”
During a first-quarter earnings conference call in April, Rogers estimated the value of its sports and media business will exceed $25 billion after buying out the remaining stake in MLSE.
Brandt said Rogers is targeting the fourth quarter to close the purchase of the Kilmer stake and the first half of 2027 for a sale of a minority stake.
While Rogers waits for that, it saw the fruits of last year’s purchase of Bell’s 37.5 per cent stake in MLSE this quarter, posting revenue of $1.2 billion at June 30, up 53 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Wireless and cable revenues were flat at $2.5 billion and $2 billion, respectively.
The wireless segment added 22,000 net new postpaid subscribers, which was less than the 35,000 it added in the comparable period. Gross additions were 333,000, down by 29,000, for a total base of roughly 11 million – up by 135,000. Churn, or the rate of customer exits, was down below one per cent, at 0.94.
On prepaid, the company added 18,000 new customers, less than the 26,000 it added in the equivalent period. Gross additions were 200,000, up by 64,000 over the year, for a total base of 1.2 million – up by 63,000. Churn was up to five per cent, with Rogers saying that it sees this segment as a step toward the postpaid base.
The total monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) was $54.25, down by $1.20.
Rogers added 17,000 new internet subscribers, which was lower compared to the 26,000 it added in the same period last year. The total internet base was still 75,000 customers higher, at approximately 4.5 million.
Video losses were 22,000, lower than the 25,000 it lost last year, for a total base at 2.45 million – down by 111,000 over the year.
Landline losses were 26,000, down compared to the 29,000 it suffered last year, for a total base of roughly 1.3 million – down by 119,000.
The home monitoring segment saw 1,000 net new customers, down compared to the 3,000 it added last year, for a total base of 158,000 – up by 17,000.
Total company revenue was $5.6 billion, up from the $5.2 billion it posted by June 30, 2025, thanks to higher revenue in the media and cable segments. However, it suffered a net loss of $665 million, which was attributed to a non-cash loss on the revaluation of the MLSE put liability.
