Rogers 5G network arrives in major Canadian cities

Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are the first Canadian cities to welcome the fifth-generation telecoms network.

Better known as 5G, Rogers becomes the first cellphone company to offer the super-fast telecom service in Canada with plans to expand the service to over 20 cities by the end of the year.

The 5G networks will have speeds fast enough to download a movie to a smartphone in seconds, while allowing businesses to run ‘smart’ factories using connected robots, devices and sensors.

We’ve always been driven by the power of what’s possible when people connect. Today, we’re beginning to roll out Canada’s first #5G network in downtown Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal that will help Canadians #MakeMorePossible. #Rogers5Ghttps://t.co/mjzBkRztdo

— Rogers (@Rogers) January 15, 2020

“5G is the biggest technological evolution since the launch of wireless in Canada. We are making the right investments, building the right partnerships and deploying the right technology to bring Canadians the very best of 5G,” said Joe Natale, chief executive of Rogers Communications.

Overall, Rogers said it has invested $9 billion in spectrum licences and over $30 billion overall in its wireless networks since 1985.

“These investments have helped ensure Canadians enjoy the third fastest wireless networks in the world, networks that are twice as fast as the U.S. with LTE covering 99% of Canadians,” the company said.

However, while Rogers says the next-generation network is now up and running, customers will not be able to access it for some time because devices have not yet been authorized to connect to it.

Those devices are expected to be available by the end of the year.