Canadian telecom Rogers Communications is the first North American service provider to join Ericsson’s global Startup 5G program, a project designed for new companies to create new use cases for 5G communications.
The startup program is designed to help communications service providers (CSPs) to accelerate commercialization and monetization of 5G by introducing them to consumer innovation partners.
The partnership between Ericsson and Rogers have been working together since 2018 on 5G and last year the company rolled out its first 5G network to four Canadian cities and later expanded it to additional cities. Rogers announced it was using Ericsson to power its 5G network last year.
Under the program, Rogers will be able to expand its 5G ecosystem across startups, academia, public sectors and enterprises as well as the consumer space. Rogers will receive access to a list of companies developing scalable services, devices and applications over 5G and learn of new use cases where the next-generation communications technology may be applicable.
The Ericsson Startup 5G project was initiated in November of 2019 about the same time 5G networks came online. The intention of the program was to show potential use cases for 5G as a platform for service innovation.
Recently, Ericsson released a 5G consumer survey of 1,600 Canadians revealing about 80% of Canadians want more innovation. The survey found that 5G telecoms and other providers can help strengthen their 5G offerings by:
- Building an extensive coverage network
- Improving 5G marketing
- Extending coverage indoors and improving speed
- Exploring 5G convergent offerings
- Providing home broadband on 5G
- Innovating with tariff plans by upselling to higher value 5G tiers
- Offering immersive services to consumers
- Developing partnership and programs for smartphones and beyond
