Following a technical LTE trial in Ottawa and Montreal last year, Rogers Communications has announced plans to roll out LTE services in Ottawa in the middle of 2011. Its customers in the capital, the first city in Canada to experience LTE services, can already pre-order the LTE Rocket USB stick manufactured by its Canadian supplier partner, Sierra Wireless. At the next stage, Rogers intends to deploy its LTE network in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in 2011, as well as the top 25 markets in 2012.
Rogers Communications Inc. announced today that it will launch commercial Long Term Evolution (LTE) services in Ottawa this summer. LTE will provide Ottawa residents with a mobile broadband experience similar to what they currently experience at work and at home. Rogers' customers in Ottawa can now reserve Canada's first LTE-ready RocketTM stick manufactured by Sierra Wireless, another Canadian wireless leader, and be the first in line to experience the unparalleled connectivity that LTE will bring when it becomes available this summer.

"We're thrilled to be first in bringing this world class technology to our customers," said John Boynton, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. "Ottawa has always been a hotbed for innovation, making it the ideal city to launch our LTE network in Canada."

Rogers, in collaboration with Sierra Wireless, the second-largest wireless solutions company in Canada1, also announced the first LTE-enabled mobile device in Canada. The LTE Rocket stick will deliver speeds that are significantly faster than HSPA+. Rogers' customers will get the added benefit of reserving their LTE Rocket stick today by visiting a newly created Reservation System; ensuring they are at the front of the line for the device once it becomes available later this summer.
"LTE significantly improves the speed and quality of the customer experience - it is where the global wireless industry is moving," said Dan Schieler, Senior Vice President, Mobile Computing for Sierra Wireless. "As a Canadian company on the forefront of this evolution, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Rogers in launching our newest LTE device in Canada."

Rogers announced a comprehensive technical trial of LTE in Ottawa and Montreal last year to ready itself for a smooth commercial deployment in 2011. With the added power provided by LTE, connectivity for Rocket Sticks, tablets, smartphones and other devices will increase, allowing Canadians to use them in ways they've never been able to before.
At its Annual General Meeting in April, Rogers announced that it would launch commercial LTE network services in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in 2011 followed by the top 25 markets in 2012.

LTE will deliver a best-in-class mobile experience for customers using highly interactive applications like multi-player gaming and rich multi-media communications. It will also deliver more usage capacity, meaning more customers can access the network at top speeds without affecting overall network performance.

"LTE will redefine the connected experience for our customers across Canada, changing the way we work, play and communicate," added Boynton. "Rogers remains committed to bringing these innovations to Canadians first, beginning with Ottawa this summer and markets across the country soon after. The future of wireless communications is here."
Canadians can learn more about Rogers' LTE network by visiting www.rogers.com/lte.