Rogers Communications has announced that it is partnering with Swedish hardware maker Ericsson to test its new 5G wireless network in Toronto and Ottawa.
The 5G wireless technology promises ultra-fast download speeds and a scaled-up grid of connected devices to ultimately power virtual reality, driverless cars and smart cities. Rogers said Monday that it is now in the early stages of rolling out 5G technology even while it deploys advanced gigabit LTE networks as a stepping stone between the fourth- and fifth-generation of wireless standards.
Rogers and Ericsson demonstrated examples of 5G applications Monday at the downtown multi-purpose Rogers Centre stadium, where the Toronto Blue Jays play professional baseball. Jorge Fernandes, Rogers Chief Technology Officer, said the company plans to test 5G wireless in Ottawa and Toronto first before rolling the technology out across Canada.
At Monday’s demonstration, participants wore virtual reality (VR) glasses to toss a baseball back and forth, virtually shopped in a retail store and controlled robots with real-time responsiveness – all using 5G wireless.
Mr. Fernandes said the speed, reliability and scalability of 5G will support the connection between physical devices that “will make the mass communication of Internet of Things a reality, changing how we live and work.”
