Rogers to Deploy LTE Network by the End of 2011

Canadian carrier Rogers has just announced plans to rollout its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network by the end of 2011.

Customers from four major cities, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa will have access to LTE network services in 2011, while other 25 cities across Canada will be added in 2012.

“The world is moving to LTE and we're thrilled to be leading the way by bringing this next generation technology to our consumer and business customers,” said Nadir Mohamed, president and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc.

“We're investing substantially to drive Canada's digital economy and we're excited to bring this platform for innovation to Canadians.”

According to the carrier, after the deployment of the LTE network, customers will experience speeds that are between three and four times faster than HSPA+ with peak download rates of up to 150 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 70 Mbps.

After running comprehensive technical trials of LTE in Ottawa and Montreal last year, Rogers is trying to launch its LTE network earlier in an attempt to jump ahead of its rivals, Telus and Bell who are also working to deploy their own 4G networks.

While Bell is still running test trial in Montreal and Hamilton, Telus has already announced that it will launch LTE network services in 2012.

Obviously, Rogers customers will need new devices compatible with the LTE network if they wish to take advantage of the new data speeds.

In addition, Rogers stated that it would launch LTE using AWS spectrum and will over time deploy LTE in multiple bands to ensure the best possible experience for customers.

Apparently, the carrier has selected Ericsson, as its supplier in commercial deployment, instead of its Nokia Siemens Networks rival.

“LTE is the critical foundation to deliver a world increasingly being defined by connected experiences,” added Mohamed.

“With LTE, our customers can use their smartphones, tablets and laptops in ways they never before thought possible - LTE is the fuel that will power Canadian innovation for years to come.”