Rogers Communications (TSX:RCI) and Wavefront have announced a new innovation centre that will showcase the telecom’s new high-speed LTE (long-term evolution) cellular network and help local startups with mentoring.
Wavefront is a Vancouver accelerator that helps startups in the wireless space progress to the commercialization stage.
The new Rogers Wireless Innovation Centre, which will open in the spring, will help local tech companies learn about the latest in wireless technology. Rogers will also work with Wavefront on a new mentorship program that will pair entrepreneurs in the wireless space with experienced executives at Rogers and Wavefront.
“Vancouver is a key growth market for Rogers which is why it was one of the first markets in Canada to experience the benefits of our LTE network,” said Gordon Nelson, Rogers’ vice president for B.C.
In October, Rogers launched its LTE network in Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond. (See “Rogers beats Telus to the LTE punch” – issue 1154; October 4-10, 2011.)
The Vancouver region is one of only four in Canada with Rogers’ LTE network, which is a high-speed cellular network with downlink speeds four to five times faster than is available over other networks.
Nelson Bennett
@nbennett_biv