Rogers expands 5G network to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Rogers announced an expansion to its 5G network that will bring the next generation of wireless connectivity to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

According to a release from the carrier, residents and businesses “in parts of Halifax” now have access to 5G. Further, Rogers will soon expand 5G into neighbouring communities.

“We are proud to be the first to offer 5G connectivity to the residents and businesses of Halifax,” said Matt MacLellan, Rogers’ president of the Atlantic region.

Rogers also pointed out that it was first to bring 5G to Atlantic Canada, starting with Fredericton in 2020, followed by Moncton and Saint John, reaching a total of 12 communities across the region. Rogers’ 5G network is powered by Ericsson, and the company says it offers 5G access to half the Canadian population with availability in over 700 communities nationwide. Finally, Rogers committed to reaching 1,000 communities by the end of the year.

While it’s great to see Rogers working to expand 5G to more places, it’s important to note that current 5G networks in Canada lack some of the main benefits of the next-gen network technology. In most places, 5G is still built on a 4G core. It may still offer faster speeds, but that’s about the extent of it.

However, with the 3500MHz spectrum auction that kicked off this week, carriers will finally be able to get some of the mid-band, or ‘Sub-6,’ spectrum critical to rolling out high-speed, low-latency 5G networks. Once carriers start to deploy Sub-6 5G, Canadians should start experiencing more of 5G’s benefits.

Source: Rogers