Rogers Lights Up LTE in Canada
Rogers Communications today announced the commercial launch of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in the Ottawa region. The LTE network rollout will expand to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal this fall and to a further 21 markets by the end of 2012. LTE-enabled smartphones from Samsung and HTC will be available later this year. The first LTE-enabled device, the Rogers LTE Rocket stick, from Vancouver-based Sierra Wireless, is now available from four Ottawa-area Rogers retail locations.
Rogers is working with Ericsson to build the LTE network. Rogers and Ericsson began conducting comprehensive technical trials of LTE in Ottawa and Montreal last fall. The tests measured data speeds, quality of signals and interoperability with Rogers’ existing 4G HSPA+ wireless network.
At launch, the Rogers LTE Rocket Stick will be capable of maximum theoretical download speeds of up to 75 Mbps on the Rogers LTE Network. Typical download speeds can range from 12-25 Mbps. As device selection evolves, maximum theoretical download speeds will increase to up to 150 Mbps.