The era of 5G is upon us. For many, 5G has been nothing more than a buzz word, but with Samsung 5G devices on the market since the Spring, and Google and Apple coming out with their 5G phones this Fall, more and more people are going to be able to take advantage of the newest cellular technology.
If you are in Canada, and planning on getting yourself a 5G device in the coming weeks, then this post is for you. In preparation for getting a 5G iPhone, I’ve switched carriers, but before choosing, I did some research and in this post I will go over some key findings.
Which carriers have 5G?
As of right now, only the big three (Rogers, Telus and Bell) have 5G networks in Canada. Not even their subsidiaries like Fido, Koodo or Virgin are on their 5G networks.
I was a Fido customer for the past 5 years, and being a subsidiary of Rogers, I figured there would be at least a timeline as-to when they will gain access to Rogers’ 5G network. But, after scouring the web and chatting with Fido representatives, there is no timeline right now. And that goes for all the other discount carriers.
So, if you want 5G, you need to deal with one of the big carriers.
Price
As of right now, the big three carriers are including 5G as part of their top tier plans. For Rogers, that’s their Infinite Plans, Telus has their Peace of Mind plans and Bell has their Unlimited plans. Comparing all their various plans, they are all priced the same and with the same features. And, if one carrier has a promotion, the others will do the same.
Initially, all three carriers were planning on charging for 5G, starting March 2021. Then in June, Telus and Bell, within a few days of each other, announced they were no longer planning on charging the fee next year. It took Rogers another 3 months to make the same commitment.
So, as it stands right now, price is not a determining factor in choosing a carrier.
5G Tech
Let me preface this section with a disclaimer. I don’t full have a grasp on all the 5G technologies out there and which specific ones the three carriers use, but I will do my best to give an overview.
First thing to mention is that, currently, none of Canadian carriers is using the ultra wide band, super fast mmWave technology as part of their 5G networks. mmWave (millimetre wave) uses high-bandwidths over 28GHz and can have speeds of over 1Gbps. It’s likely still a couple years out before we see it introduced in Canadian cities. Also, no 5G device being sold in Canada will have mmWave antennas built-in to them. This includes the soon to be launched iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models. The bands Canadian carriers are using fall under what’s called Sub-6 5G, which is a series of bands that are (as the name suggests) below 6GHz. Now this encompasses a whole range of different frequency and band names that I won’t go over. All I will mention is, between the three carriers, none of them are using any band over 2.5GHz. Sometime next year the 3500MHz spectrum will be auctioned off to carriers and will be used to provided improved speeds.
Telus and Bell claim to have the faster network, but with all three carriers using mid-range bands that are all very similar, there may not be very noticeable differences in speed when applied to real world use.
Coverage
The last big question is, who has the widest coverage. Well, as of right now, Rogers has the largest coverage out of the three carriers, by far. They have 5G in over 150 cities and town compared to the approximately 50 cities Bell and Telus have. For context, Bell and Telus share the same network, so they have identical coverage.
Rogers was the first to launch their 5G network at the beginning of 2020 and they have expanded rapidly throughout the year. Telus and Bell launched during the summer, and they are also expanding quite quickly. But, if you want the most coverage right now, Rogers likely has your area covered.
So, who (currently) has the edge?
If you are wanting to get on the 5G bandwagon now, and want the best, then Rogers is the carrier to go with. With everything else being equal, Rogers’ superior coverage puts them above the rest. But, eventually that will even out as Telus and Bell continue to expand their networks. In a couple years, 5G will be ubiquitous across all the carriers, and coverage will all be the same. But, if you are getting a fancy new 5G device this fall, and you are looking for the best coverage, Rogers is your best bet.
