Rogers Communications and the University of Waterloo announced a three-year, multi-million dollar partnership agreement to advance 5G research in the Toronto-Waterloo tech corridor. Together they will create the first 5G smart campus in central Canada.
The partnership will focus on 5G research in the areas of engineering, network design, applied mathematics and artificial intelligence. Rogers and the University will also build a 5G network on campus that will test network infrastructure, frequencies and applications in a real world Canadian environment. Establishing the first wave of research projects and construction of the smart campus will begin in early 2020. As part of the partnership, Rogers is a founding partner of the Gateway for Enterprises to Discover Innovation at the University of Waterloo (GEDI), a central place for companies to access the full potential of Waterloo’s research, talent and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Rogers also announced it is the first wireless provider to work with ENCQOR 5G, a $400-million partnership led by the governments of Canada, Ontario and Quebec. ENCQOR has established the first pre-commercial 5G telecommunications corridor in Canada and brings together a vast network of companies, organizations and researchers who want to innovate by using the full potential of 5G. Through ENCQOR, Rogers will support small and medium-sized enterprises as they work toward unlocking the technological promise of 5G.
Joe Natale, President and CEO, Rogers Communications
5G is at our doorstep and these investments are critical to developing the ideas and solutions that will fuel industries and drive Canada’s digital economy for decades to come.
Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice Chancellor, University of Waterloo
Combining the experience of Rogers with the research and entrepreneurial talent at the University of Waterloo will empower faculty and students to make discoveries and build new companies that will help us further contribute to the economies of our region and the country as a whole.
