OTTAWA — Canadian carriers have been testing 5G technology in order to get ready for the future commercial launch of this technology.
For example, in the spring, Shaw Communications completed its first 5G technical trials in Calgary, in partnership with Nokia. The 5G trial used 28 GHz millimeter wave spectrum and 3.5 GHz spectrum, and was conducted using pre-commercial equipment at Shaw’s Barlow Campus Technology Center in Calgary, according to rcrwireless.com. Shaw conducted comparative testing between 28 GHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum to better understand the interoperability between two of the bands, using Rohde & Schwarz gear to measure 5G and LTE signals simultaneously.
Rogers Communications recently announced a multi-year plan by which it aims to deploy 5G technology in partnership with Ericsson. Rogers’ network plan includes the continued rollout of its gigabit LTE network with technology and equipment based on the latest global 3GPP standards, including 4×4 multiple-input-multiple-output, four-carrier aggregation and 256 QAM.
The company also plans to build up its network with both small cells and more traditional radio sites across the country, according to the same article. Through the partnership with Ericsson, Rogers will trial 5G technology in Toronto and Ottawa, in addition to select cities over the next year.
Earlier this year Telus, in partnership with Huawei, launched a 5G wireless-to-the-home (WttH) trial service using specially-designed 5G customer premise equipment, at Telus’ downtown Vancouver “5G Living Lab.”
The Canadian government said that key use cases for the next-generation network technology include smart cities, healthcare, education, connected and autonomous vehicles, entertainment and media and the Internet of Things, and it confirmed plans to auction key wireless spectrum for the provision of 5G services in 2020, again according to the same article.
