Canadian governments partner with global tech companies to prepare for 5G future
OTTAWA — The governments of Canada, Ontario and Quebec are partnering with some of the world’s digital heavyweights to usher in the next generation of wireless technology.
A $400-million public-private investment will create a corridor of 5G wireless test beds through Canada’s two largest provinces, aimed at giving companies a chance to experiment with new ideas and products that are only now becoming possible thanks to recent breakthroughs in telecommunication technology.
While many estimate it will take years before 5G is widely rolled out to the Canadian mass market, it’s being billed as the wireless backbone to futuristic technologies including driverless cars, remotely controlled complex surgeries, and download speeds up to 100 times faster than today’s 4G networks.
“5G is the gateway to the future and we are just on the brink of this technological revolution,” Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said Monday at a funding announcement in Ottawa.