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Rogers is setting the stage to lead on 5G
Rogers is setting the stage to lead on 5G with the right infrastructure, spectrum, partners and investments to help make more possible for our local communities and businesses
With a newly announced, multi-year plan to bring 5G to Canadians with tech partner Ericsson, Rogers is investing in the next technological revolution to benefit all Canadians and Canadian businesses. To learn more about how 5G will connect our citizens and businesses to what matters most to them, Rick Sellers, President of the B.C. region at Rogers, answers a few questions.
Q: 5G is a hot topic right now. What would you say are the benefits of 5G?
RS: We are in the midst of a very exciting technological revolution with 5G. The potential for 5G use is compelling, and the backbone of this new technology is our network. With 5G, we will enable a truly connected world for Canadians, our businesses and our cities with faster data download and upload speeds, wider and more reliable coverage and more stable, simultaneous connections.
The move to 5G isn’t just about taking the next step. It is about making a giant leap. 4G was all about speed, whereas 5G shifts to real-time information and ultra high-capacity networks that present endless opportunities for consumers and businesses to connect, succeed and lead. We are committed to making these possibilities a reality for Canadian businesses, where 5G is specifically tuned and tailored to meet their growing needs.
5G will support the realtime economy, and change how we live and work. With ultra-low latency, the lag between sending a request and the network responding will theoretically drop to one millisecond, 400 times faster than the blink of an eye and unlike anything yet experienced. It will inspire new verticals and applications that require quick responsiveness, gigabit speeds and ultra-high bandwidth, like driverless cars, virtual reality and low-power Internet of Things (IoT) innovations for smart cities.
Q: How will 5G impact businesses and cities in B.C.?
RS: Businesses in B.C. will be able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by 5G, which include streamlining operations for increased productivity, creating new revenue streams and enabling a greater customer experience. We are also committed to developing key partnerships to better connect our rural and remote communities across British Columbia.
5G will make our communities more efficient. For example, municipalities will be able to take advantage of smart lighting, which will reduce the amount of electricity that’s used and allow them to invest in other initiatives that would benefit our communities. Using sensors and cameras that can detect congestion on our roads, smart traffic lights will help regulate the flow of traffic by responding to demands in real time.
Q: What other roles does Rogers play in this leadup to 5G?
RS: Our investment in 5G is not our first foray into technological innovation. We were first in Canada with GSM, HSPA+ (3G) and LTE (4G) networks, and this foresight is why we are Canada’s largest wireless provider. In our prepartion for 5G, we will continue to deliver on our promise of a great network for our customers, but we’re taking action now by upgrading existing sites, adding new cell sites, completing radio updates and re-farming spectrums, so we are ready when the ecosystem is ready. We’ll be running 5G trials in multiple cities and spectrum frequencies, including soon-to-be announced locations in B.C.
Rogers was also the first to introduce M2M and IoT to Canadian businesses, and we continue to be Canada’s IoT market leader. We are expanding our portfolio of solutions with 5G networks in mind and are preparing for critical growth in IoT, where 5G will enable a massive range of applications and devices to stay connected at all times. With more than 15 years of experience in this space, we’re well-positioned to highlight the true value of IoT to our customers.
Most importantly, our No. 1 priority every day is to be a trusted adviser to our customers. We understand the unique needs of our local businesses here in B.C. and want to make it easy for customers to do business with us. As leaders in 5G, we are committed to partnering with our customers to ensure they are ready to take this next step with us.
Q: What sets Rogers apart from other providers?
RS: What makes us different is our exceptional focus on the customer that is backed by our innovative solutions for Canadian businesses. With our national wireless network, we currently support enterprise customers of all sizes in the province, and look forward to working with even more businesses as we transition toward 5G.
In addition to providing wireless service through voice and data plans and smartphones, we also offer cloud-based productivity and collaboration solutions; Rogers Unison, a mobile-first business communications system; data centre and cloud solutions like virtual private cloud; private networking solutions; and vertical-based IoT solutions that will meet today’s needs and scale for a 5G future.
For example, the telematics solutions we offer can allow a transportation company to track their vehicle and driver activity, to manage fuel costs and monitor route efficiencies. With 5G, autonomous driving will become a reality, with “smart” vehicles on the road that can communicate with other vehicles and traffic infrastructure.
As well, our video surveillance solutions enable both businesses and municipalities to monitor virtually any location with cameras connected to our wireless network, delivering high-res imagery, advanced analytics and cybersecurity.
Q: What else can we expect to see from Rogers in B.C.?
RS: As we continue to lay the groundwork for 5G, we will announce additional technology partnerships and small-cell deployments to help bring 5G to more British Columbians. We can’t wait to share these exciting stories with our communities and witness the transformation of our businesses and cities across the province.
In addition to our network investments, we believe education plays a critical role in strengthening our communities and that’s why we created the Ted Rogers Scholarship Fund. These are scholarship grants provided to aspiring young leaders entering post-secondary education. Ted Rogers Scholarship recipients are proof that potential is everywhere, and I have been honoured to meet many of these incredible B.C. students who are making a difference in their communities.
5G is truly an exciting part of our future outlook, and we believe we can help B.C.’s businesses and cities make more possible for their customers and communities along the journey to 5G and beyond. ?
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Rick Sellers, President of the B.C. region at Rogers, says 5G will connect Canadians coast to coast