As U.S. carriers race to be the first to roll out commercial 5G wireless service, their counterparts to the north are apparently keeping their plans close to the vest.
The Canadian Press reports that although each of Canada’s top three wireless carriers is currently conducting 5G-related tests, none of the companies has established any timetables for debuting 5G service.
Telus, headquartered in Vancouver, came closest with a vague statement that 5G service was expected to become commercially available in 2020. The carrier, along with some of its Vancouver employees, is currently involved in a “wireless to the home” 5G trial with Huawei.
Rogers, Canada’s largest carrier, is evaluating next-generation network technologies at its namesake stadium in downtown Toronto. The Rogers Centre, the publication noted, presents several different challenges, including its concrete structure and the thousands of connections needed to support Toronto Blue Jays fans on game days.
Bell, based in Montreal, is also reportedly conducting LTE “wireless to the home” tests in two Ontario communities — with 20 more to come later this year — that will eventually be upgraded to 5G. The company is also working with Telus on test projects.
Nauby Jacob, VP of products and services for Bell, only offered a prediction that 5G technology would move more quickly than the roughly five-year transition from 3G to 4G.
“I’ve been quite surprised by how quickly things are moving,” Jacob told The Canadian Press. “Having said that, it’s not here today.”
