Double the spectrum means double the video capacity for Rogers’
customers
TORONTO, April 3, 2014 /CNW/ – With final payments made to Industry
Canada, Rogers Communications today announced further details about its
plans for the twenty year licenses it scored for its customers across
the country.
“We went into this auction with a clear plan to win the best spectrum
for our customers. There is clear demand for the ultimate video
experience and it will be a big part of how we bring the NHL to hockey
fans,” said Guy Laurence, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Recent studies show the amount of video watched on smartphones and
tablets has grown by more than 700%1 since 2011and sports is a significant share. Rogers data shows there
was a 50 percent spike in traffic during the final men’s Olympic hockey
games as Rogers customers tuned in to catch all the action live on
their phones and tablets.
Rogers was the only company to secure two 12MHz blocks of contiguous,
paired 700MHz lower band spectrum in virtually every major market
across Canada, securing twice as much contiguous spectrum as the
competition. This is an advantage because the two contiguous blocks can
be combined to deliver consistently fast downloads and uninterrupted
video streaming in more places than ever before.
“Rogers has emerged as an LTE powerhouse,” said Peter Rysavy, President,
Rysavy Research, a well-known U.S.-based firm specializing in wireless
technology and spectrum analysis. “They won highly desired spectrum and
their customers will enjoy the benefits of a well-executed spectrum
auction plan. The U.S. device ecosystem has evolved to make the A band
spectrum much more valuable. Rogers strategy of acquiring both A and B
band contiguous spectrum gives Rogers a significant advantage over the
competition that has spectrum split between the lower and upper 700 MHz
band.”
Investing in this prime real estate builds on Rogers’ multi-band 4G LTE
spectrum strategy, which already uses both the AWS and 2600MHz spectrum
bands. Rogers existing 4G LTE network has already been proven to
deliver the fastest broadband wireless speeds in Canada. The new 700MHz
spectrum means our customers’ devices will now be served on the fastest
LTE network in even more places in both urban and rural markets.
Rogers customers will be able to use their existing LTE devices as soon
as the new spectrum is deployed, which will begin during 2014.
*Ooyala’s Q4 2013 Global Video Index
About Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media
company. We are Canada’s largest provider of wireless voice and data
communications services and one of Canada’s leading providers of cable
television, high speed internet and telephony services. Through Rogers
Media we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised
shopping, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment, and
digital media. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).
For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please
visit rogers.com.
SOURCE Rogers Communications Inc.
