5G in Canada

Many Canadians have questions about the elusive 5G. Although other countries have had great success with 5G, we still haven't seen Canada take to 5G as quickly as many originally thought. Here is a brief article about 5G, what it is, and when it's set to thrive in Canada.

What is 5G?

5G stands for "fifth-generation technology" standard for cellular networks, which mobile phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019. South Korea has the highest number of cities with 5G availability, followed by China, the US, and the UK. So, where does that leave Canada? In this chart below, we'll take a look at 4 of Canada's largest carriers, and how they're planning to unveil in the coming years for 5G in the Canadian market.

Why is 5G better than 4G?

5G's biggest differentiator to 4G will be as a gateway for the Internet of Things-connected world at scale. Eventually, 5G networking will be revolutionary for data-driven industries, smart cities and infrastructure management because it will be possible to have many more devices working, reliably, securely, and uninterrupted in the same area. While many are excited about the personal benefits of advantages like faster streaming, the business potential for IoT is incredible.

Main Advantages of 5G

Leading Carriers have outlined the primary benefits of switching to 5G, citing faster speed, lower latency, increased capacity as helpful for both the consumer and business.

Bell has estimated their Speeds will be up to 6x faster than LTE. This would mean large files can download in seconds, videos can be streamed in the highest resolution, and users will benefit from overall a quicker, better experience. Another critical advantage for business users in remote areas is they would see a significant increase in speed, especially those without access to fibre technology.

Customers would see an increase in the capacity of connected devices by 1000x. More capacity is particularly significant for the Internet of Things deployments, such as smart cities, with the capability to support millions of connected devices. Plus, with increased data network capacity, overall speeds and connectivity are expected to be maintained, even during peak hours, regardless of how large an event or deployment.

Say goodbye to delays with lower latency than ever before. 5G will enable the fastest wireless device connection, near real-time, with lower latency.

When Will Canada Get 5G?

Rogers 5G has launched in Canada and is supported by the new Samsung Galaxy S20 5G smartphones. Bell and Telus have beta programs testing 5G and should launch later this year. Smaller, regional carreirs like Freedom Mobile, SaskTel and Videotron have been testing 5G too, but none have public estimates for when the new networks will deploy. Low-band technologies that allow longer range and high-band signals that increase download speeds should launch in 2021.