Partnership will deliver made-in-Canada 5G technology
Will develop 5G applications to help
consumers, businesses and governments save time, money and
lives
VANCOUVER, Sept. 20, 2018 /CNW/ - Rogers and the
University of British Columbia (UBC)
today announced a three year, multi-million dollar partnership deal
to build a real-world 5G Hub on the UBC campus that will be a
testbed and blueprint for 5G innovation in Canada.
Rogers will deploy 5G-ready network equipment and infrastructure
at UBC starting in early 2019. The partnership will study 5G
applications such as monitoring cars and traffic to develop smarter
and safer cities. Other research interests include autonomous
vehicles, machine learning, artificial intelligence and network
slicing technology for use in robotics, farming and medical
applications. The partnership will also develop skills in computer
science, applied mathematics, machine learning and software
development.
"5G represents a massive technological transformation that will
connect everything in our world from people and machines, to homes
and cities. The global race to unlock its potential is underway,"
said Joe Natale, President and CEO,
Rogers Communications. "Our partnership with UBC will ensure we
bring our country and Canadians the very best 5G has to offer."
Experts predict 5G can connect 500 times the number of devices
versus 4G, estimating one million connected devices for every
square city kilometer. These devices will help parents arrive home
faster for dinner by re-routing traffic, provide farmers with
real-time data to save crops during droughts, and assist
governments to manage natural disasters saving lives and
businesses.
"UBC has significant expertise in leveraging its own
infrastructure to create a unique 'living lab' environment that
fosters creative problem-solving in a real-world setting," said
Professor Santa Ono, UBC President
and Vice-Chancellor. "This partnership with Rogers opens exciting
research and learning opportunities for our faculty and students in
wireless technology. It is a great example of how universities and
industry can work together to develop new knowledge and provide our
students with the skills that are vital in building the digital
economy."
"It's very exciting that two Canadian institutions – Rogers
Communications and the University of British
Columbia – are working together to develop 5G that will be
uniquely Canadian, with applications that will benefit both people
and business," said Minister of Citizens' Services Jinny Sims. "This hub will help ensure we remain
leaders in tech here in B.C., and can fully participate in the
digital economy."
"Similar to how 4G brought us faster speeds and the on-demand
economy, 5G will bring us the real-time economy with low latency
and high capacity – two defining characteristics of 5G that will
open up a whole new world of opportunities for Canadians and
business. Today is about continuing to build the ecosystem
with the right partners, spectrum, infrastructure and investments
to make 5G a reality," adds Jorge
Fernandes, Chief Technology Officer, Rogers Communications.
"UBC is the ideal 5G partner with world renowned researchers and
facilities where we can co-develop applications that will make our
cities smarter, cleaner and safer."
This partnership is part of Rogers multi-year program to bring
5G to Canadians and to drive Canada's economic growth. The company
announced a national infrastructure agreement with Ericsson, the 5G
North American partner of choice, to boost and densify its
fibre-powered network with 5G-ready technology. Earlier this year
Rogers completed live 5G testing at Rogers Centre and is currently
testing 5G global standards. Rogers also continues to upgrade its
4.5G network with the latest 5G-ready technology to be ready for 5G
commercial deployment in 2020.
Today's announcement builds on Rogers commitment to B.C. Last
year the company invested over $4
million in local community initiatives, and employed over
1,600 Canadians in the province. Rogers continues to enhance its
wireless network for customers in B.C., most recently in
Qualicum Beach, Tsawwassen Mills,
Abbotsford, across Vancouver
Island, Kelowna and across the
SkyTrain.
ABOUT ROGERS
Rogers is a leading diversified Canadian communications and
media company. We are Canada's
largest provider of wireless communications services and one of
Canada's leading providers of
cable television, high-speed Internet, information technology, and
telephony services to consumers and businesses. Through Rogers
Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, sports,
televised and online shopping, magazines, and digital media. Our
shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:
RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:
RCI).
ABOUT UBC
The University of British Columbia
is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked
among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915,
UBC's entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged
the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to
challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of
learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into
ideas that can change the world.
SOURCE Rogers Communications Canada Inc. - English